Silent Heart Attack Warning Sign You Can’t Ignore

A silent heart attack may be diagnosed during a physical exam if your doctor notices a fast or irregular pulse or unusual lung sounds. Your doctor may run some diagnostic tests to confirm the risk of a heart attack.

Silent heart attacks do not typically exhibit dramatic or loud symptoms and are often diagnosed weeks or months later using tests like:

• Blood tests
• ECG (electrocardiogram)
• Cardiac catheterization with angiography
• CT scan or MRI
• Stress tests (exercise or nuclear)
• Echocardiogram

After a silent heart attack, to hasten your recovery from a heart hospitalization, you will likely need to take long-term medications like beta-blockers, blood thinners, cholesterol drugs, or blood pressure meds. You may feel tired, anxious, or sad, but joining support groups can help.

Most people can slowly return to daily activities within weeks, depending on how much the heart was affected. Adopt a healthier lifestyle and exercise to control high blood pressure for a healthy heart.

To prevent the risk of a heart attack, follow your provider’s advice and adopt heart-healthy habits:

• Stay active and avoid tobacco
• Limit alcohol and eat a diet rich in fruits, veggies, and low in red meat
• Manage your emotions, stress, and maintain a healthy weight 
• Control conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, Chronic kidney disease, and Peripheral artery disease (PAD) 
• Do regular screenings, as having one heart attack increases the risk of another, so consistent care is key.

Yes. Silent heart attacks can increase the risk of future heart attacks, heart failure, and even death, just like traditional heart attacks. Long-term outcomes can be equally severe if left untreated.