A few months ago, I got handed a flyer with photos showing the symptoms of heart attacks in women, which can differ from the standard symptoms most of us are familiar with for men. It was from a new gym trying to advertise, and it was a clever way to do it since I read it carefully. (Here’s a link to a website with the photos and text on the flyer I saw.) Women often suffer heart attacks without realizing what’s happening, and it’s important that they know the signs in order to get help before it’s too late. Comedian Rosie O’Donnell, 50, had a heart attack and realized that she was having some sort of heart problem but didn’t grasp how serious it was. She googled it, dismissed her symptoms, took an aspirin and then waited until the next day to see her doctor. Her doctor told her she’d had a heart attack and sent her to the hospital, where they found a 99% blockage on her coronary artery and inserted a stent. Thank goodness it worked out ok for her. Here’s Rosie’s explanation from her blog. She wrote that she had helped a very large woman get out of her car earlier that day, which may have precipitated her heart attack.

a few hours later my body hurt
i had an ache in my chest
both my arms were sore
everything felt bruised

muscular – i thought
strained or pulled tissue
i went about my day
the pain persisted

i became nauseous
my skin was clammy
i was very very hot
i threw up

maybe this is a heart attack
i googled womens heart attack symptoms
i had many of them
but really? – i thought – naaaa

i took some bayer aspirin
thank god
saved by a tv commercial
literally

i did not call 911
50% of women having heart attacks never call 911
200,000 women die of heart attacks
every year in the US

by some miracle i was not one of them
the next day i went to a cardiologist
the dr did an EKG and sent me to the hospital
where a stent was put in

my LAD was 99% blocked
they call this type of heart attack
the Widow maker
i am lucky to be here

know the symptoms ladies
listen to the voice inside
the one we all so easily ignore
CALL 911

save urself
xxx

[From Rosie’s Blog]

Maybe Rosie’s experience will help more women learn what to look for and seek help immediately after a heart attack. It’s a wake up call for sure.

We just heard that Rosie’s fiance, Michelle Rounds, was very sick and had been diagnosed with a rare disease called desmoid tumors. These two have gone through so much recently and I hope that that both of them are on the mend and are feeling better soon. It sounds like Rosie is getting there.

Rosie is shown in the header on 4-14-12. Rosie and Michelle are shown together on 1-10-12. Credit: WENN.com