NEW YORK -
Lalina Franklin was having neck and jaw pain. She had no idea she was on the verge of a severe heart attack.
"You think of some really bad pain in your chest and collapsing. I wasn't having any pain at all in my chest," she said.
New research in JAMA shows 42 percent of women under 55 do not feel chest pain during a heart attack. And hospitals often don't diagnose those women properly until it's too late.
"When women arrive to the hospital having a heart attack with symptoms different than chest pain, their care might not happen as immediate," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist.
Researchers say that's why more than 14 percent of women are dying from heart attacks in the hospital compared to 10 percent of men.
Doctors say there are signs a woman can look out for besides chest pain.
"They might have other symptoms like jaw pain, back pain, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue and simply sweating. All of these things could be a heart attack," Steinbaum said.
Steinbaum says if you're noticing these symptoms, getting help immediately could be critical.
"The quicker you can get to treatment the quicker we can save heart muscle and prevent you from dying," she said.
Lalina Franklin had a stent put in to unblock an artery.
"I am definitely lucky to be alive today," she said.
And she says she's never felt better.
Each year in the U.S. more women die of heart disease than men. Doctors say every woman starting at age 20 needs to have her cholesterol checked and her blood pressure checked.
