All total, the authors examined data on roughly 9,500 Americans. Highlighted below are five findings from the study.
1. Based on previous research, silent heart attacks represent between 22 percent and 60 percent of all heart attacks. In the current study, more than 45 percent of heart attacks were silent.
2. The incident rates for both clinically documented and silent heart attacks were higher among men than women.
3. Black patients were significantly more likely to experience a silent heart attack than white patients.
4. White patients had a higher clinically documented heart attack rate than black patients.
5. Clinically documented and silent heart attacks were both associated with increased mortality rates among patients, but the risk of mortality was higher among women than for men.
“Race and sex differences in the incidence and prognostic significance of [silent heart attacks] exist, which may warrant considering [silent heart attacks] in personalized assessment of [coronary heart disease] risk,” the study concludes
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