ROCHESTER, MN -โข September โ18, 2025 -โฃ A new Mayo Clinic โstudy is challengingโ conventional understanding of heart attack causes, particularly among women under 55. Researchers have identified factors beyond โtraditional clogged arteriesโ contributing to myocardial infarctionsโ in this demographic, including spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), stress-induced cardiomyopathy โ(broken heart โขsyndrome), and underlying genetic predispositions.
For โขdecades, heart attacks haveโ been largely attributed to โatherosclerosis – the buildup of plaque in arteries. however, the โMayo Clinic’s findings, published this week, reveal these option causes are substantially more โprevalent in younger women experiencing โheart attacks โขthan previously โขrecognized.This findingโ has critical implications for diagnosis, treatment, and preventative care, possibly saving โขlives byโ prompting clinicians to consider a broader rangeโ ofโ possibilities.โ The study analyzed dataโค from over 1,500โค women hospitalized for heartโ attacksโค between 2010 โand 2024, revealing that nearly 18% experienced a cause other than atherosclerosis.
SCAD, a tear in a coronaryโ artery wall, โคaccounted for โฃapproximately 12% of heart attacks in the studyโข group. This condition frequently enough occurs in or else healthy women, makingโ early detection difficult. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, triggered by intense emotional or physical stress, represented another 6% of cases. โResearchersโฃ also identified a higherโข incidence of genetic mutations linked to heart diseaseโค in โฃthis population. โฃ
“We’re seeing โaโค shiftโ in how we understand heart attacks,especially โขin younger women,” explained Dr. Sharonne Hayes, lead author of the study and aโค cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. “The traditional risk factors – โขhigh cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking โฃ- don’t always tell the wholeโ story. Recognizing these less common causes isโฃ crucial for timely and effective โขintervention.”
The studyโข emphasizes the need for โขincreased awareness among both healthcare professionals andโ women themselves regarding the diverse ways a heart attack canโ manifest. symptoms can differ from the classic chest pain frequently enough associatedโ with atherosclerosis, sometimes presentingโค as shortness of breath, fatigue, or pain inโ the โขback, jaw, โขor arm.โฃ Further researchโข is underwayโ to pinpointโ specific genetic markers and refine diagnostic protocols for theseโ atypical โheart attack causes.
