Heart attacks in women are 50 percent more likely to be misdiagnosed as anxiety, panic attacks, or indigestion than when they affect men. Plus, women often experience subtle symptoms rather than the classic crushing chest pain typically seen in men.

Women are also more likely to brush off their symptoms, especially when they don’t fit the picture of a typical heart attack. Former “All My Children” star Susan Lucci ignored the early signs of a widowmaker heart attack until a severe episode sent her to the emergency room (ER).

Two emergency surgeries later, she’s a national ambassador for women’s heart health. Here’s her story, the warning signs to watch for, and how to advocate for yourself.

Heart Disease in Women: Why It’s Often Overlooked

Historically, heart disease research focused mostly on men, and early clinical trials often excluded women. That gap is slowly closing, but the numbers still aren’t in women’s favor.

• Cardiovascular disease causes 30 percent of deaths in women each year, more than twice as many as all cancers combined.
• Younger women in particular are more likely to die from a heart attack, partly because their symptoms are more often atypical and harder to recognize.
• Women wait more than five times longer than men for a heart failure diagnosis and are twice as likely to be misdiagnosed.
• Women are more likely to delay seeking care for their symptoms in general, sometimes waiting months before making an appointment.

What Heart Attack Symptoms Look Like

Atypical heart attack symptoms in women commonly show up in less obvious places than the chest. This is a far cry from the classic Hollywood image of someone clutching their chest and collapsing. Common warning signs include:

• Discomfort or pain in the neck, jaw, or back
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting
• Unusual fatigue that doesn’t match your activity level
• Lightheadedness

Because these symptoms overlap with everyday signs like stress, indigestion, or being run-down, they’re easy to dismiss. They’re also easy for doctors to misread, especially in the ER, where chest pain is still treated as the primary red flag for a heart attack.

What Susan Lucci’s Diagnosis Can Teach Us

Lucci was fit, active, and had normal blood pressure, but she still had a near-miss heart attack. Her story is both inspiring and instructive. Here are lessons to take from it.

• Fitness isn’t a shield — Lucci had the heart function of a 20-year-old and still had a 90 percent blockage in her main artery. A clean diet and daily workouts don’t cancel out the risk of heart disease.
• Genetics play a role — Lucci’s father also had heart disease. Know your family’s heart history, as it matters as much as your habits.
• Sometimes a normal test doesn’t rule out a heart problem — Lucci’s EKG looked fine. It took a CT scan to find the blockages. If your gut says something’s wrong, demand further testing.
• Don’t out-explain your own symptoms — Lucci blamed her chest tightness on a bad bra strap. If you find yourself constructing a reason it’s “probably nothing,” that’s often the moment to get it checked.

Her story shows that recognizing a pattern doesn’t always stop you from second-guessing yourself. By talking openly about it, she’s encouraging other women to take their own symptoms seriously, no matter how subtle.