10:00 pm
Monday August 29 2022
Books – Syed Metwally
A heart attack is one of the most terrifying conditions, offering little chance of survival, however, recognizing the warning signs early can reduce the risk of death.
Data show that nearly half of women who have a heart attack experience complications during sleep in the month prior to the attack, according to the British newspaper express website.
What is a heart attack?
Simply put, a heart attack is an obstruction of blood flow to the heart. As the organ pumps to the rest of the body, this blockage is often fatal. Moreover, this condition rarely produces early warning signs, making prevention more difficult. Some studies have found that nearly half of women experience sleep disturbances in the month leading up to the episode.
There has been widespread debate regarding the extent to which a heart attack sufferer may begin to notice physical changes in advance.
Different warning signs
Researchers believe that not all warning signs may affect individuals equally, however, women are more likely to experience some warning signs than men.
This is because men generally have blockages in the large coronary arteries, while women are more likely to have blockages in the small arteries, known as microvasculature.
In a report published in the journal Circulation, researchers found that 48 percent of respondents experienced sleep disturbances in the month prior to their heart attack.
Another common complaint among these women was unusual fatigue, which affected up to 71 percent of respondents.
A report published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care also discussed some of the possible causes of these sleep disturbances.
The researchers noted that: “Myocardial infarction is often not recognized in women because they may have only vague symptoms, such as disturbed sleep.”
Describing the association of sleep disturbances prior to myocardial infarction may help identify women at risk for coronary heart disease.
“Our research found that self-reporting of sleep disturbance preceding myocardial infarction was highly prevalent in women of all races, and the results showed that sleep disturbances in women were strongly associated with anxiety, fatigue, pain and changes in thinking and remembering,” according to the researchers.
The researchers noted that these combined symptoms might be an important warning sign of an impending heart attack, however, due to the limitations of the available data, they were unable to confirm the cause of sleep disturbances in the women.
They also note that heart attack and sleep disturbance share many common characteristics such as inflammation. Moreover, women and men with poor cardiovascular status are known to regularly suffer from poor sleep.
Some studies have identified a relationship between poor sleep and elevated interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, which are common responses to injury, and some of these mechanisms may also explain why so many women experience unusual fatigue before a heart attack.
The study authors note: “The fatigue described by the women in the MAPMISS study was significant and interfered with their daily activities. In fact, some women reported being so tired that they might not make a bed without resting between bedside making.”
Given the relationship between sleep complications and cardiovascular health at risk, women with unusual sleep disturbances are advised to see a doctor for a check-up, which is especially important in light of the World Health Organization’s estimate that 80 percent of early heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
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