Dr Sara Kayat has warned that women should watch for subtle signs that could indicate a heart condition requiring urgent medical attention. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, the health expert explained what to look out for following Davina McCall's heart diagnosis.
This week, Davina McCall revealed her cardiovascular diagnosis, two years after having a brain tumour removed. Dr Sara joined hosts Ben Shepard and Cat Deeley to discuss the role of cholesterol and menopause in women's heart health, as well as the signs to be aware of. There are approximately 35.48 million women in the UK.
Subtle symptoms in women
During the segment, Dr Sara said that while many associate heart attacks with classic symptoms like chest pain and tightness radiating to the arms or neck, women often experience more subtle warning signs. Because cardiovascular disease is a broad term, the physical presentation of a cardiac event can be less obvious in women.
She specifically warned that, for some women, a heart attack may manifest only as gastrointestinal issues or a sense of unusual, unexplained fatigue. These symptoms can be easily overlooked or mistaken for minor ailments, but she emphasised the importance of recognising that they may indicate a serious heart condition.
"Cardiovascular disease is quite broad; symptoms can be broad, but the main warning signs that I want everyone to be aware of are things like chest pain and chest tightness, especially if it's also radiating to the arms or the neck," she said. "That can be a sign. So, it's worth noticing that women tend to get more subtle effects and signs of a heart attack. So, it may only be gastrointestinal or a bit of fatigue."
Evidence from medical research
Sudden gastrointestinal issues and profound, unusual fatigue are heavily documented signs of a heart attack in women. While central chest pressure remains the most prevalent symptom across all genders, medical research shows that women are significantly more likely than men to have "atypical" or non-chest pain symptoms. These can come on suddenly during a heart attack or emerge as early warning signs weeks before a formal diagnosis.
A study published by the American Heart Association in the journal Circulation tracked early warning symptoms in hundreds of women post-heart attack. The data revealed that 70.7% of the women experienced severe, unusual fatigue in the weeks leading up to their cardiac event.
Heart attacks can feel like stomach problems such as nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or vomiting because of how nerves are connected. The nerves that go to the bottom part of the heart run next to the nerves in the stomach and diaphragm. When blood cannot flow properly to the heart muscle, the nearby nerves can trick the brain into thinking the problem is in the stomach instead of the heart. This mix-up happens often in women, who might think they have acid reflux, a gallbladder problem, or a stomach bug when they are actually having a serious heart attack.
When to seek emergency help
An analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) evaluated more than one million cardiac patients. It found that 42% of women experienced a heart attack entirely without chest pain. Instead, these women mostly experienced unexplained shortness of breath and upper abdominal or stomach discomfort.
If you or someone you know experiences a sudden, unexplained onset of these symptoms, especially if accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the jaw, neck, or back, treat it as a medical emergency and call 999 or 112 immediately.
However, sudden gut issues and unusual fatigue are common symptoms of many other medical conditions. Because these symptoms are non-specific, meaning they can point to several different systems in the body, they are frequently caused by non-cardiac issues.
