Can women have heart attacks without knowing it?

Deborah Ekery, a clinical cardiologist at Heart Hospital of Austin, sees patients with symptoms of fatigue and heart disease. With results from EKGs and MRIs, Ekery found many of these patients had recently suffered a heart attack without their knowledge, reports the American Heart Association.

Some studies show that silent heart attacks are more common in women than in men. A silent heart attack briefly blocks off blood flow to the heart. It may cause damage and scarring to the heart muscle. The symptoms are hard to recognize due to the lack of warning signs, such as chest pain, cold sweats and shortness of breath, reports the American Heart Association.