Only a third of patients suffer ‘Hollywood heart attacks’

Just over one third of heart attack patients experience what doctors describe as the ‘Hollywood heart attack’ — breaking into a cold sweat, grimacing and falling to the ground, it has emerged.

Irish researchers have found, however, that two-thirds of patients experience heart attack symptoms that are not so dramatic, and so delay vital, emergency treatment.

More often, heart attack symptoms are insidious and puzzling, such as unexplained fatigue or abdominal discomfort and most people wait for hours before getting help. Woman may also experience very different symptoms to men and so fail to recognise them as a heart attack.