Health
40-Year-Old Mom Reveals Unexpected Signs of a Life-Threatening Heart Attack
Heart health is a topic that gains more attention as we age. However, it’s not often a primary concern for middle-aged individuals, particularly women. A 40-year-old mother who recently suffered a “widowmaker” heart attack is now advocating for awareness of the unexpected symptoms she experienced prior to her cardiac event. This article aims to highlight these warning signs to promote safety and early detection.
“Widowmaker” heart attacks are severe medical emergencies, named for their high fatality rate. They occur when the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, which supplies half of the heart’s blood, becomes completely blocked due to cholesterol buildup, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic. This blockage deprives the heart muscles of blood, leading to their death.
“The ‘widowmaker’ is a lay term for a particular type of heart attack,” said Gary Niess, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute. “Any artery closure can cause a heart attack where the heart muscle dies, but the widowmaker has a higher rate of mortality.”
Heart attacks are distressingly common, with over 800,000 people in the U.S. experiencing them each year. This equates to approximately one heart attack every 40 seconds. Heart attacks remain the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S.
The Cleveland Clinic states that the risk of heart attacks increases for men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) starting at age 45, and for women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) at age 50. However, heart attacks can occur at any age, as demonstrated by a 40-year-old woman named Jessica Charron.
In 2022, Charron began to feel unusual symptoms, including a tingling sensation that traveled down her neck to her back and arms, accompanied by chills. Initially, she attributed these symptoms to spending too much time outside on a hot day. However, as the symptoms intensified and came in waves, she realized something more serious might be happening.
“I just knew something was wrong,” she told Today. “I felt like this is just not a normal chill—not even a flu-like chill. It was different. It was more intense.”
Despite initial tests at the hospital not revealing any issues, Charron insisted something was wrong. Eventually, doctors discovered she was experiencing a “widowmaker” heart attack, with an 85 percent blockage in her LAD.
“I was absolutely shocked,” Charron told Today. “There was nothing leading up to that which would have indicated that I would be a candidate for a heart attack.”
Charron underwent surgery to place a stent in her artery and later had a triple bypass to address two other blockages. She now emphasizes the importance of awareness of heart disease risks, especially for women and AFAB individuals.
“I was young. I was healthy,” she told Today. “The biggest lesson learned for me is that heart disease doesn’t really discriminate.”
Laura Mauri, MD, chief scientific, medical, and regulatory officer at Medtronic, listed chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, and pain in the neck, arm, or back as common warning signs of a heart attack. However, symptoms can vary between individuals and genders. Quick action is crucial in surviving a heart attack.
“When you’re in an ambulance, getting early treatment actually saves lives,” Mauri told Today. “The good news is that in many cases, if a heart attack is detected early, the treatment can be pretty quick and not lead to a long hospitalization and lead to a full recovery. It’s not uncommon that people recovering from a heart attack go back to living even healthier lifestyles than they did before the heart attack.”
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