Sweating during physical activity or in hot weather
is healthy. But when individuals begin perspiring while
experiencing discomfort in their chest, arm, neck or
jaw -- with little or no exertion -- it could be the
onset of a heart attack, according to a new study at
the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"We can stop a heart attack during the process, but
you have to get to the hospital first," said Catherine
Ryan, research assistant professor of medical surgical
nursing. "The real push for improved survival is to
get them there early."
Ryan presented her findings at the American Heart Association's
annual meeting this week in Dallas.
Time is of the essence during a heart attack, and doctors
have urged people who experience common symptoms --
shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, lightheadedness,
or discomfort in the chest, arm, neck or jaw -- to get
to a hospital as quickly as possible. But delay in seeking
treatment is common, and worsens the outcome after a
heart attack, Ryan said.
Ryan sought to determine whether delay was related
to the symptom cluster individuals experienced during
a heart attack. Earlier studies about the delay, she
said, focused on only one symptom, not clusters, or
on demographic characteristics of the patients.
She asked the authors of 10 such studies to send her
their data, and eight groups of authors in the United
States and Great Britain complied. The data had been
collected in interviews with 1,073 patients who had
had heart attacks.
Ryan studied 12 common symptoms: chest discomfort;
shoulder, arm, or hand discomfort; neck or jaw discomfort;
back discomfort; abdominal discomfort; indigestion;
nausea and vomiting; shortness of breath; sweating;
dizziness and light-headedness; weakness; and fatigue.
Her analysis showed that individuals with the shortest
delays (a mean of 9.78 hours) had a greater probability
of experiencing the largest number of symptoms. Individuals
with the longest delays (a mean of 22.77 hours) had
moderate probability of experiencing chest pain and
shortness of breath.
Sweating may be a key variable in the symptom cluster
prompting individuals to seek treatment, Ryan said.
But the research could not determine whether sweating
is an indication of a more serious heart attack.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of
Health through UIC's Center for Reducing Risks in Vulnerable
Populations.
- More articles on Sweating
Reference
Source 131
November
29, 2005
