Chest pain accounts for more than 6.5 million visits to U.S. emergency rooms each year. Yet little research has looked at what it might signify over the years to come.
Similarly, few studies have examined the long-term implications of shortness of breath, called dyspnea.
In a new study from Johns Hopkins, scientists found chest pain and shortness of breath may offer distinct warnings of future heart problems over 30 years’ time.
They used three decades of data to examine links between chest pain, shortness of breath, and several cardiovascular problems.
The study involved more than 13,000 people with no previous heart disease or stroke.
The team found chest pain and dyspnea were mainly linked to future heart attack, atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat) and heart failure (when the heart doesn’t pump well). Stroke was least associated with chest symptoms.
Someone who experienced the lowest severity of chest pain had a 21% greater chance of having a heart attack over the next 30 years compared with someone reporting no chest pain.
Those with the highest level of chest pain had an 83% higher heart attack risk compared with those without chest pain.
People who reported the lowest level of shortness of breath had a 30% higher chance of having a heart attack in the next 30 years compared with someone who reported no breathing problems.
Those with the highest level of shortness of breath were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack.
Those with the highest levels of both chest pain and shortness of breath were more than 2 1/2 times as likely to have a heart attack than someone with no issues.
They also were more than twice as likely to have atrial fibrillation or heart failure, and 85% more likely to have a stroke.
Chest pain was most strongly linked to a later heart attack, while dyspnea was most closely associated with future heart attack and heart failure. Having both symptoms appeared to increase the risk even further.
These findings suggest the need to view both chest pain and dyspnea as warning signs of not just an immediate crisis but of possible long-term problems.
Even mild chest symptoms were linked to long-term risk of heart problems, although less so than with moderate to severe symptoms.
The findings suggest health care workers should be diligent about tracking even mild symptoms.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about new way to repair human heart, and how much vitamin C you need for better immune health.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about simple exercise that could strongly benefit people with heart problems, and results showing one cup of these vegetables a day can lower heart disease risk.
The study was conducted by Dr. Kentaro Ejiri et al and presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.
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