While most people think of heart disease as synonymous with heart attacks, there are many more ailments and conditions which affect the heart.  Heart disease includes coronary artery disease, congestive heart disease, heart failure, heart arrhythmias and other less well-known but severely complicated conditions.

Heart disease affects men and women differently, and the most well-known symptoms for men rarely occur in women. In this two-part series, we’re going to examine the differences between the genders when it comes to heart disease. This week is for the gentlemen!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States. Between 70 and 80 per cent of sudden cardiac events occur in men, and half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.

Heart Attack Signs in Men

More than 60 per cent of men who suffer a heart attack experience heart attack symptoms before the actual heart attack. This means that being aware of these symptoms is very important and medical guidance should be actively sought if you experience them. The most common symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Irregular heart beats
• Discomfort
• Pain in other body parts (shoulder, arms, back, teeth or jaw)
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Fainting
• Nausea and vomiting
• Light-headed feeling
• Anxiety
• Indigestion 

The signs of a heart attack don’t develop overnight, and the risk factors have likely been present for a long time before the heart attack happened. 

This is good news. Why? Because it means the power is squarely in your hands to take control of your health before it reaches crisis point. 

Did you know about the gender differences in heart health? Head down to the comments and let me know about your experience! And stay tuned for my next post, where we’ll look at heart attack symptoms in women. Hint: they’re different from those in men, and not nearly as well publicized!