Heart attack warning signs for women. Very few pre-menopausal women have heart attacks, unless they smoke, have diabetes, or are on birth control pills for a long period of time. Smoking seems to be the biggest risk factor:

•         Nausea and vomiting that won’t stop

•         Breathlessness (but not sighing) with exertion or especially if it wakes you up at night

•         Chest discomfort that starts behind the breast bone and radiates to either shoulder or arm, neck, or to the lower (but not upper) jaw

•         Discomfort in the lower jaw especially if it occurs only with exertion or will not go away

•         Discomfort in the upper back especially if it occurs only with exertion or will not go away

•         Discomfort in the chest or back that occurs when doing usual chores after a large meal

•         Sudden onset of weakness that won’t go away

•         Sudden racing heart sensation with a very fast pulse

•         Sudden loss of consciousness

•         Physical inability to perform usual household chores

Who is most at risk with these symptoms? The more of these factors that apply to you, the greater your risk:

•         Menstruation has stopped

•         Smoking

•         Family history of arteriosclerotic heart disease before age 60

•         High blood pressure (even treated)

•         Diabetes (even mild, even treated)

•         Obesity

•         High cholesterol (even treated)