Dr Sara warns millions with gut issues and fatigue of urgent medical condition

Dr Sara warns millions with gut issues and fatigue of urgent medical condition The health expert took to the ITV programme to alert viewers of the 'subtle' warning signs Dr Sara Kayat has issued a warning to millions of women about the 'subtle signs' to watch out for that could be related to a medical condition that requires urgent attention. Appearing on ITV's talk show, This Morning, the health expert explained what women should be aware of following Davina McCall's heart diagnosis. This week Davina McCall shocked fans after revealing her cardiovascular diagnosis, two years after having a brain tumour removed. Dr Sara joined ITV hosts Ben Shepard and Cat Deeley to explain the role cholesterol and menopause can play in women’s heart health, as well as the signs to look out for. There are approximately 35.48 million women in the UK. During the segment, Dr Sara said that while many people associate heart attacks with classic symptoms like chest pain and tightness radiating to the arms or neck, women often experience more subtle warning signs. Because cardiovascular disease is a broad umbrella term, the physical presentation of a cardiac event can be less obvious in women. She specifically warns that, for some women, a heart attack may manifest only as gastrointestinal issues or a sense of unusual, unexplained fatigue. Because these symptoms can be easily overlooked or mistaken for other minor ailments, she emphasises the importance of recognising that they may indicate a serious heart condition. "Cardiovascular disease is quite broad; symptoms can be broad, but the main warning signs that I want everyone to be aware of are things like chest pain and chest tightness, especially if it's also radiating to the arms or the neck," she said. "That can be a sign. So, it's worth noticing that women tend to get more subtle effects and signs of a heart attack. So, it may only be gastrointestinal or a bit of fatigue." Sudden gastrointestinal issues and profound, unusual fatigue are heavily documented signs of a heart attack in women. While central chest pressure remains the most prevalent symptom across all genders, medical research shows that women are significantly more likely than men to have "atypical" or non-chest pain symptoms. These symptoms can come on suddenly during a heart attack or emerge as early warning signs weeks before a formal diagnosis. A study published by the American Heart Association in the journal Circulation tracked early warning symptoms in hundreds of women post-heart attack. The data revealed that 70.7% of the women experienced severe, unusual fatigue in the weeks leading up to their cardiac event. Make sure our latest health stories always feature at the top of your Google Search by setting us as a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. Heart attacks can feel like stomach problems like nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or throwing up because of how our nerves are connected. The nerves that go to the bottom part of your heart run right next to the nerves in your stomach and diaphragm. When blood can't flow properly to your heart muscle, the nearby nerves can trick your brain into thinking the problem is in your stomach instead of your heart. This mix-up happens a lot with women, who might think they just have acid reflux, a gallbladder problem, or a stomach bug when they're actually having a serious heart attack. An analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) also evaluated more than one million cardiac patients. It found that 42% of women experienced a heart attack entirely without chest pain. Instead, these women mostly experienced unexplained shortness of breath and upper abdominal or stomach discomfort. If you or someone you know is experiencing a sudden, unexplained onset of these symptoms, especially if accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the jaw, neck, or back, treat it as a medical emergency and call 999 or 112 immediately. It is important to keep in mind, however, that sudden gut issues and unusual fatigue are common symptoms of many other medical conditions. Because these symptoms are non-specific, meaning they can point to several different systems in the body, they are frequently caused by non-cardiac issues.