Women’s Early Warning Symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Data remain sparse on women's prodromal symptoms before acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study describes prodromal and AMI symptoms in women. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants were 515 women diagnosed with AMI from 5 sites. Using the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey, we surveyed them 4 to 6 months after discharge, asking about symptoms, comorbidities, and demographic characteristics. Women were predominantly white (93%), high school educated (54.8%), and older (mean age, 66+/-12), with 95% (n=489) reporting prodromal symptoms. The most frequent prodromal symptoms experienced more than 1 month before AMI were unusual fatigue (70.7%), sleep disturbance (47.8%), and shortness of breath (42.1%). Only 29.7% reported chest discomfort, a hallmark symptom in men. The most frequent acute symptoms were shortness of breath (57.9%), weakness (54.8%), and fatigue (42.9%). Acute chest pain was absent in 43%. Women had more acute (mean, 7.3+/-4.8; range, 0 to 29) than prodromal (mean, 5.71+/-4.36; range, 0 to 25) symptoms. The average prodromal score, symptom weighted by frequency and intensity, was 58.5+/-52.7, whereas the average acute score, symptom weighted by intensity, was 16.5+/-12.1. These 2 scores were correlated (r=0.61, P<0.001). Women with more prodromal symptoms experienced more acute symptoms. After controlling for risk factors, prodromal scores accounted for 33.2% of acute symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: Most women have prodromal symptoms before AMI. It remains unknown whether prodromal symptoms are predictive of future events.