Study finds many show no symptoms until
they have a heart attack
MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDayNews) -- Asian-Americans are at increased
risk of "silent" heart disease that may show no symptoms
until they suffer a heart attack.
That's the conclusion of a study presented June 9 at the American
Heart Association's Second Asia Pacific Scientific Forum in Honolulu.
The condition is called silent myocardial ischemia. It occurs when
plaque buildup, or an obstruction, causes heart arteries to narrow
and restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Myocardial ischemia usually causes chest pain. But silent myocardial
ischemia is usually pain-free.
"Typically, decreased blood flow to the heart causes the characteristic
chest pain of angina -- a tip-off that, without intervention, even
more serious cardiac problems could result," lead author Dr.
Antonio Q. Chan, an adjunct clinical professor of medicine at Stanford
University Medical Center, says in a statement.
"But in our study, seven in 10 patients with myocardial ischemia
never had chest pain, though many became fatigued easily or short
of breath upon exertion. Any Asian-American who complains of shortness
of breath after climbing a flight or two of stairs, gets tired easily,
or is over age 45, should be examined for the presence of ischemic
heart disease," Chan says.
That's especially true if the person has high blood pressure, diabetes
or a family history of heart disease.
Specialized tests are used to diagnose silent myocardial ischemia.
The new research included 1,595 Asian and white patients in the
Chicago and San Francisco areas. Only 30 percent of the Asian patients
diagnosed with myocardial ischemia suffered chest pain, compared
with 83 percent of Caucasian patients.
But the Asian-Americans with myocardial ischemia were more likely
than whites with the condition to suffer shortness of breath while
exercising (63 percent versus 36 percent), fatigue (59 percent versus
22 percent), and heart palpitations or rapid heartbeats (65 percent
versus 24 percent). |
