Women's Heart Attack Symptoms Differ from Men's

Rosie O'Donnell nearly died of a heart attack in August 2012 — and almost didn't realize she was having one.

The comedian and former talk-show host, then 50, wrote on her blog that she had suffered a heart attack days earlier after helping an "enormous woman" struggling to get out of her car. Hours later, O'Donnell developed sore arms, nausea, and clammy skin — but no crushing chest pain. She did not call 911. Instead, remembering a Bayer aspirin commercial, she chewed an aspirin. The next day, a cardiologist found a 99 percent blockage in her left anterior descending artery and placed a stent.

"I am lucky to be here," she wrote — and credited the aspirin, and dumb luck, with saving her life.

Her story spotlighted a dangerous gap in public awareness: women's heart attack symptoms often differ from the classic Hollywood image of a man clutching his chest. Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, back or jaw pain, and unusual fatigue — symptoms easy to dismiss as flu, stress, or indigestion. Studies have found women wait longer than men to seek emergency care, and are more likely to be misdiagnosed when they do.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women — killing more women each year than all cancers combined. The American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign has spent years trying to close the awareness gap.

O'Donnell's takeaway was blunt: if something feels wrong, call 911. "Save yourself," she wrote. Do not drive yourself. Do not wait to see if it passes.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you suspect a heart attack, call emergency services immediately.