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Real members of MyLupusTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

Are women aware that we often have unusual symptoms with heart attacks compared to men? This contributes to worse outcomes for us.

A MyLupusTeam Member asked a question 💭
Pittsboro, NC

As we lupies are more prone to heart disease than the average person, I'd like to share info about this. We women often don't have chest pain or pressure, though we may experience it. Many people describe the chest symptoms with angina or a heart attack as a severe pressure or discomfort, not necessarily pain.

We women may have other symptoms that result from insufficient blood flow to the heart, including shortness of breath, neck pain, pain going down the left arm or both arms, nausea or even… read more

July 31
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Answer Summary

Members rallied around an important post about how heart attack symptoms in women with lupus often look very different from the classic chest... Read more

Members rallied around an important post about how heart attack symptoms in women with lupus often look very different from the classic chest pain seen in men, with several members sharing their own surprising experiences, including throat pain, neck pain, and arm pain instead of chest pressure. A recurring theme was that lupus-related inflammation and steroid use can raise heart attack risk even in people with healthy cholesterol and blood pressure, and members encouraged each other to seek cardiology evaluations and not dismiss unusual symptoms. The community also reinforced the urgent advice to go to the ER if worrisome symptoms last more than 10 to 15 minutes.

A MyLupusTeam Member

PLEASE NOTE: I posted this only to raise awareness, and I don't want to cause anyone to stress about it! Many of us will never have to deal with this, but preparation helps.💜

July 31
A MyLupusTeam Member

All of my cholesterol and triglyceride numbers were great, and I had even passed a treadmill stress test and heart echo, before I ended up with open heart surgery. Really bad throat pain had sent me to the ER several times over five years.

Finally, one ER doctor admitted me for overnight observation. Two times that night, mt cardiac enzymes were normal. The third time, one enzyme showed a slight bump. I had an angiogram that morning. I expected to wake up with stents, but the damage 💔 was far too great. I ended up with a quad plus bypass.

My point is that a woman may have really weird symptoms. That surgery was in 2012, and though I do nw have chest pain, I never had chest pain or arm pain before my surgery.

August 11
A MyLupusTeam Member
July 31
A MyLupusTeam Member

Thank you for posting this vital information. I have had chronic systolic heart failure and three different types of arrhythmia since 1997, open heart surgery in 2024 and lupus, diagnosed in 2020. It makes daily life interesting. I'm 61 years old and things are really challenging but I focus on what I can do. Life has been full of potholes and detours but the scenery has always been fantastic!

August 1
MyLupusTeam

What an incredibly important point to raise — and thank you for sharing it so clearly. This is genuinely life-saving information for women living with lupus.

Women with lupus face a dramatically higher risk of heart attack compared to women without lupus. Women between ages 35 and 44 with lupus are about 50 times more likely Show Full Answer

What an incredibly important point to raise — and thank you for sharing it so clearly. This is genuinely life-saving information for women living with lupus.

Women with lupus face a dramatically higher risk of heart attack compared to women without lupus. Women between ages 35 and 44 with lupus are about 50 times more likely to have a heart attack than peers without lupus. Cardiovascular disease is actually the leading cause of death among people with lupus — not lupus itself. The heart attack symptoms women may experience include:

- Shortness of breath
- Neck, jaw, or shoulder pain
- Pain radiating down one or both arms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Heart palpitations
- Cold sweats
- Chest pressure or discomfort (not always "pain")

As shared so well here, these symptoms can be easy to dismiss or misattribute — which is exactly why outcomes can be worse for women.

If any of these symptoms last more than 10-15 minutes, getting to the ER immediately is critical. It's always better to be checked and reassured than to wait. As one MyLupusTeam member put it — going to the ER and being told everything is fine is far better than not going at all.

July 31

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