‘Silent killer’ symptom is different in men and women – here are the telltale signs

A DEADLY condition can present different symptoms in men and women, according to a new study.

Half of all people who have a cardiac arrest will feel symptoms in the 24 hours before.

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A cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating, is the most deadly form of heart condition, killing 90 per cent of all those it strikes outside of a hospital.

But the telltale signs are different for men than women, according to researchers from the Smidt Heart Institute at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the US.

Now experts are urging people to be are aware of the symptoms so they can get themselves to a hospital if need be.

The study found that half of individuals who experienced a sudden cardiac arrest also experienced a telling sign one day before their loss of heart function.

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Women will feel breathless up to 24 hours before whereas men will likely feel chest pains.

Meanwhile, smaller groups of both men and women experienced palpitations, seizure-like activity and flu-like symptoms.

Senior study author and sudden cardiac arrest expert Dr Sumeet Chugh said: "Harnessing warning symptoms to perform effective triage for those who need to make a 911 call could lead to early intervention and prevention of imminent death.

"Our findings could lead to a new paradigm for prevention of sudden cardiac death."

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The team studied data from the ongoing Prediction of Sudden Death in Multi-Ethnic Communities (PRESTO) Study in Ventura County, California.

And they also pored of research from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study (SUDS), based in Portland, Oregon.

Dr Chugh said: "It takes a village to do this work.

"We initiated the SUDS study 22 years ago and the PRESTO study eight years ago. These cohorts have provided invaluable lessons along the way.

"Importantly, none of this work would have been possible without the partnership and support of first responders, medical examiners and the hospital systems that deliver care within these communities."

The investigators evaluated the prevalence of individual symptoms and sets of symptoms prior to sudden cardiac arrest.

And they then compared these findings to control groups that also sought emergency medical care.

This study will hopefully pave the way for additional prospective studies that will combine all symptoms with other features to enhance prediction of imminent sudden cardiac arrest.

Dr Chugh added: "Next we will supplement these key sex-specific warning symptoms with additional features-such as clinical profiles and biometric measures-for improved prediction of sudden cardiac arrest."

A cardiac arrest is the ultimate medical emergency, when the heart stops beating, and the individual is clinically dead.

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Symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest are immediate and severe and include a sudden collapse, which include unconsciousness, no pulse and no breathing.

But there is currently no formal care plan for cardiac arrest survivors consistently applied across the UK.