Heart attacks that are not accompanied by chest pain are more deadly, more apt to be missed and receive worse treatment even after they are recognized, according to a study published in the journal Chest.
Researchers looked at data collected in 14 countries on 20,881 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes. Of those, 1,763, or eight percent, did not report chest pain. Older patients, women and diabetics were more likely to fall into this group.