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• The Trump administration said the FDA will begin notifying doctors about the possible link between autism and Tylenol during pregnancy
• The announcement follows a recent pledge by HHS Health Secretary RFK Jr. to determine the cause of autism.
• The Tylenol-autism theory is based on a research review that determined an association, but most studies have found no causal link.
• Federal health officials are also expected to recommend leucovorin, a drug used to treat cancer and anemia, as a potential therapy for autistic people.

The Trump administration announced on Monday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin notifying physicians that Tylenol use during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”

“They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” the president said.

Health officials are also expected to highlight leucovorin as a potential therapy for autism, according to The Washington Post. Leucovorin is a form of folate used in cancer and anemia treatments.

At a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Glendale, AZ, on Sunday, the president had teased the autism announcement and told reporters that Tylenol is “a very big factor” driving autism rates.

In a media briefing earlier on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that members of the press should listen to Trump’s announcement with “some critical thinking skills and with some open ears,” NBC reported.

As part of an ongoing effort to address concerns over rising autism rates, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had vowed to find the “cause” of autism by September.

On Monday, President Trump thanked the Health Secretary for bringing the issue “to the forefront of American politics.”

Kennedy has repeatedly criticized childhood vaccines as a cause of autism, a claim that clashes with a scientific consensus showing no such link.

When the autism-vaccine link was widely debunked, Kennedy set his sights on a new suspected cause: Tylenol use during pregnancy. 

A recent research review suggested a link between prenatal Tylenol exposure and autism in children, igniting a safety debate over a longstanding medical recommendation.

Following publication of the review, an exclusive in The Wall Street Journal revealed that the HHS, under Kennedy’s direction, would release a report detailing Tylenol as a cause of autism. As a consequence of the WSJ report, the stock for Kenvue, Tylenol’s manufacturer, fell by more than 9%.

Still, the Tylenol-autism theory lacks sufficient high quality scientific evidence, and a majority of studies have found no causal link.

The FDA and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) maintain that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is safe during pregnancy. 

“Pregnant patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen, which is safe and one of the few options pregnant people have for relief,” Christopher Zahn, MD, ACOG Chief of Clinical Practice, wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month.

Tylenol is the only safe option for pain relief during pregnancy, and untreated fever carries heightened risks of neural tube defects. Here’s what you need to know.

Tylenol and autism: Is there a link?

The Tylenol-autism link entered the spotlight after a research review published in mid-August in Environmental Health sounded an alarm over prenatal acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental risks in offspring. 

The Harvard-Mount Sinai review of 46 studies suggests a slightly higher risk of autism and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with prenatal exposure to acetaminophen. However, the findings point to an association rather than causation, warranting further investigation. 

The review cites a large cohort study of 2.5 million children conducted in Sweden, published in JAMA in 2024. The researchers examined neurodevelopmental outcomes in 185,909 children exposed to acetaminophen in utero. Despite a modest increase in the full cohort, the associations became insignificant upon analyses of sibling control groups.

The review also notes that higher doses of acetaminophen during pregnancy showed no effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes when those doses were adequately controlled.

There’s also a confounding issue in that mothers who took Tylenol during pregnancy had higher rates of infections, chronic pain, psychiatric conditions, and existing neurological conditions like ADHD and autism. 

Additionally, the senior author served as an expert witness for plaintiffs in litigation surrounding acetaminophen, suggesting a possible conflict of interest.

“Studies like this are not proving anything other than an association,” said Danelle Fisher, MD, FAAP, board certified pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who wasn’t involved in the review. “The timeliness of taking acetaminophen while pregnant does not mean that every woman who takes it will have a child with autism,” she told Healthline.

Christine Feigal, MD, board certified OB-GYN and vice chair of the OB-GYN Department at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, agreed that association doesn’t equate to causation. Feigal wasn’t involved in the review.

“Studies looking for relationships between prenatal exposures and postnatal outcomes, particularly complex neurocognitive outcomes such as autism, must be interpreted cautiously, as these conditions are multifactorial in nature,” Feigal said. “Confounding variables, that is, factors that can impact the likelihood of both the exposure and the outcome, are common and difficult to erase in these studies,” she told Healthline.

Fisher further explained the concept: “Put another way, an association may be present between pregnant women who eat ice cream during pregnancy and have a child with autism. Does the eating of ice cream cause autism? No, but since it occurred during pregnancy, one could posit an association. There is no proof that acetaminophen causes autism, period,” Fisher said.

Is folate a factor in autism?

Autism is a neurological condition affecting communication and behavior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that autism currently affects around 1 in 31 children 8 years of age.

Autism rates have increased significantly in recent years, but the causes of the developmental disorder are multifactorial. 

Additionally, autism rates are likely rising due to improved awareness and screening and broadened diagnostic criteria. 

While the exact causes of autism aren’t fully understood, research has shown that genetic and environmental factors often play a role.

“Autism is a complex spectrum of disorders, which largely [has] a genetic basis,” Fisher said. “While the medical community is discovering more genetic links and parental factors, including parental age and even some environmental causes, there is no one cause of autism.”

Folate has also emerged as a potential factor in autism. Research has suggested that some people on the autism spectrum have metabolic anomalies, reducing the amount of folate that reaches the brain.

Leucovorin, a form of vitamin B9 (folate) also known as folinic acid, as a treatment for autism, could improve this metabolic anomaly. The drug, typically used in cancer and anemia treatment, is sometimes prescribed off-label as an autism therapy for this purpose.

While folate deficiency during pregnancy may raise the risk of neural tube defects, the link to autism is unclear.

As the Autism Science Foundation has stated on this link, “this science is still in very early stages, and more studies are necessary before a definitive conclusion can be reached.”

Despite that, leucovorin shows promise as a therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, it may be too soon before it’s recommended as a treatment for the broader population.

“Leucovorin has been studied on a small scale with some behavioral improvements in children with autism, but no large-scale studies have demonstrated a consistent finding. This may be an important area for future research, but the science is not yet well established,” Fisher noted.

And based on the current evidence, it’s unwise to recommend against acetaminophen during pregnancy. Experts agree that Tylenol is safe and there’s no link between acetaminophen, neural tube defects, and autism.

“Acetaminophen is one of the few safe pain and fever medications we have to offer patients in pregnancy, and avoiding treatment can have its own consequences,” Feigal said. “I will continue to recommend Tylenol for pain and fever in pregnancy.”

Fisher echoed this sentiment. “Every time the government disregards the scientific method and states untrue things about medical issues, they are playing on fear,” she said. “It is time to go back to the science… for vaccines, medical treatments, and recommendations.”

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• Researchers say higher doses of semaglutide weight loss medications can be effective in helping treat obesity.
• In two new studies, the researchers reported that people taking 7.2 mg doses of semaglutide lost more weight than people who took smaller doses or received a placebo.
• While GLP-1 medications can help with weight loss, experts recommend a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and daily exercise for healthy weight management.

A significantly higher dose of weight-loss drugs containing the active ingredient semaglutide can be more effective in helping people lose weight.

That’s according to two new studies published on September 14 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.

In both clinical trials, participants who received a triple dose of semaglutide medication achieved slightly more weight loss than people taking a standard dose.

The weight loss was more significant when compared to study participants who were given a placebo.

In both trials, participants were advised on lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, funded both trials.

Higher doses of Ozempic, Wegovy led to greater weight loss

The first study involved 1,407 people with obesity who did not have type 2 diabetes. About 73% of the participants were female. They had a mean age of 47 and a mean body mass index (BMI) of almost 40.

The participants were followed between January 2023 and November 2024 at 95 medical facilities in 11 countries.

The majority of the participants were prescribed to a regimen involving 7.2 mg weekly doses of semaglutide medication, triple the standard dose. The other subjects were given either 2.4 mg doses or a placebo.

In that study, researchers reported that people taking the 7.2 mg dose achieved an average weight loss of 19% compared to an average 16% weight loss for those taking the 2.4 mg dose and nearly 4% for those given the placebo.

The researchers added that about half of the participants on the 7.2 mg dose lost at least 20% of their body weight while a third lost at least 25% of their body weight.

They also reported that the higher dose group showed more benefits in:

• waist circumference
• blood pressure
• blood sugar levels
• cholesterol readings

Higher semaglutide doses improved blood sugar, waist size

The second study involved 512 people diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes. About 52% of these participants were female.

The participants had an average age of 56, a mean BMI measurement of 38, and a mean HbA1c blood sugar level of slightly more than 8. They were studied at 68 medical facilities between January 2023 and May 2023.

In that study, researchers reported participants on semaglutide doses of 7.2 mg achieved an average weight loss of 13% compared to 10% for participants given 2.4 mg doses and close to 4% for those getting a placebo.

Researchers also reported that people on the 7.2 mg doses experienced more significant reductions in waist size and blood sugar levels.

In both studies, researchers said participants on the higher 7.2 mg doses reported some gastrointestinal side effects but that those health issues were manageable.

The scientists said further studies are warranted to determine long-term risks as well as benefits.

Higher doses of GLP-1s are not ideal for long-term use

Experts not involved in the new studies say GLP-1 weight loss drugs and bariatric surgery can be highly effective in helping people manage their weight.

“These drugs are the most effective medication available at this time for weight loss. However, if someone meets the criteria for surgery, that is even more effective than the medications,” said Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California.

“They result in significant weight loss and improvement in many health conditions related to obesity,” Ali told Healthline. “They do require long-term use as studies show a high incidence of weight regain if discontinued.”

Dan Azagury, MD, an associate professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Stanford University in California, said the new studies are encouraging news.

“This new dosing of semaglutide offers a new more effective option for weight loss, compared to the current maximal dose,” he told Healthline. “Essentially more effective while maintaining a side effect profile that isn’t significantly worse for the typical [gastrointestinal] side effects that most patients experience.”

However, Azagury said there was one troubling side effect he saw in the research.

“The concern here at this new dose is the significant increase is dyseasthesia (which includes things like skin sensitivity, skin ‘pain’ or ‘burning sensation’),” he said. “This was significantly more frequent than the lower dose (22.9% vs. 6%).

“The upside of most side effects for these drugs is that they disappear when you discontinue,” Azagury added. “In this study, 18.7% (nearly 1 in 5) patients who had these issues still had not recovered by the end of the study (it is unclear how many of those had stopped the medication or not), so that is something that will require further studies to be better characterized.”

Ali noted that the recommended dose by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a semaglutide drug is 2.4 mg taken weekly, so a higher dose would be outside those boundaries.

“These medications, like all medications do have side effects, some of which can be serious. If a patient is on a much higher dose, they have an increased risk for more significant side effects with long term use,” he said.

“Furthermore, this [higher dose] would be considered ‘off-label’ use of these medications, and they are already difficult to get coverage for through insurance, so there could be a significant out-of-pocket cost for the patient,” he added.

What to know about GLP-1 drugs

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) medications work by mimicking a hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces hunger pangs.

One class of the GLP-1 medications uses the active ingredient semaglutide. They are sold under different brand names.

Ozempic and Rybelsus have been approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is approved for use in weight management. Semaglutide drugs are available as both oral tablets and injections.

Another commonly used weight loss medication uses the active ingredient tirzepatide. Mounjaro is approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Zepbound is approved for use in weight management. These medications are available only as injections.

Previous studies have highlighted the effectiveness of these drugs in helping people lose weight.

Past research has also indicated that these weight loss drugs can help lower a person’s risk of cancer as well as provide benefits to heart health and brain health.

Ali stressed that weight loss medications and surgery are simply tools to help someone in their weight loss journey.

He said if they don’t adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, daily exercise, and adequate sleep, then they won’t be able to meet their weight loss goals.

“The goal of any weight loss intervention, whether it’s medications, surgery, or just counseling, is to provide tools to change to a healthier lifestyle and diet,” Ali explained. “If patients do not make these significant, long-term changes, then no intervention will remain effective for an extended period of time.”

Azagury said it’s important for patients to discuss weight loss strategies with their physician.

“Weight loss drugs are most effective as part of a comprehensive management,” he said. “In our center, for example, patients prescribed these medications will also see our dietitians and be given access to resources and recommendations for diet change, exercise, etc. It is also important to have [a] follow-up to adapt treatment along the way.”

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• Health officials anticipate this winter’s flu season to be moderate compared to last year’s severe season.
• Nonetheless, experts recommend that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated against influenza this fall.
• Experts say flu shots lower the risk of being hospitalized or dying from the illness.

While many forecasts predict a somewhat moderate influenza season this coming winter, health officials continue to recommend that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated against the flu.

They say this applies in particular to people who are more vulnerable to developing more serious illnesses from the flu virus, including older adults, children, and people with compromised immune systems.

Federal agencies’ flu vaccine recommendations are consistent with last year’s guidelines and differ from the recently changed recommendations concerning COVID-19 vaccinations.

Experts note that the flu can cause serious complications, even among healthy people, so the illness should not be taken lightly.

“While most cases are mild, some are more severe leading to hospitalizations and tens of thousands of those affected die yearly from the flu,” said David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

“Influenza can be severe or even deadly, and the vaccine prevents severe disease, albeit not all infections,” added Monica Gandhi, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. “Pediatric hospitalizations for influenza last year were particularly high, so we encourage everyone to get the flu vaccine this year.”

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s flu season.

Outlook for the upcoming flu season

Experts aren’t certain yet how strong the 2025–2026 flu season might be.

Last year, the United States experienced what some experts described as the most severe flu season in more than a decade.

Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that between 47 million and 82 million influenza illnesses occurred in the United States during the 2024–2025 flu season.

There were an estimated 610,000 to 1.3 million hospitalizations and between 27,000 and 130,000 deaths associated with the flu.

In addition, Australia has been recording a strong flu season. In July, Australian officials said this year’s flu season was shaping up to be their country’s second-worst in a decade.

Flu cases in the Southern Hemisphere, where July and August are considered winter months, often give a glimpse into what the flu season will be like in the Northern Hemisphere during the fall and winter.

In the United States, flu season usually begins in October and lasts through March, with the peak period being between December and February.

The CDC released a report in August stating that the upcoming fall and winter respiratory virus season will likely have a similar number of hospitalizations as last year.

However, those estimates include projected cases of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza.

William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, said this year’s flu season might be more moderate compared to last year.

“Last season was quite severe and it is unusual to experience two severe seasons in a row, especially as no new flu strains have appeared on the global scene. Thus, likely we’ll have an average, moderately severe season,” he told Healthline.

Cutler agreed that flu season severity is difficult to predict.

“It is impossible to predict with certainty the nature of any upcoming flu season. The number of cases, the timing of the peak, and the exact nature of variants are always variable,” he told Healthline.

Schaffner recommended getting vaccinated against the flu, no matter what the forecasts are.

“Patients should not make their decisions about receiving [the] flu vaccine [based] on predictions. Make it routine every year,” he said.

Who should get a flu shot?

CDC officials recommend that nearly everyone 6 months and older should receive a flu vaccination this fall.

The only exceptions are infants under 6 months of age and people with serious, life-threatening allergies to ingredients in the flu vaccine.

CDC officials say several groups of people are most at risk for complications from the flu and should prioritize getting vaccinated. The list includes:

• people ages 65 years and older
• children younger than 2 years of age
• people with chronic conditions such as asthma and blood disorders
• people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
• people with weakened immune systems

There should be a sufficient supply of vaccines in the United States this season. Manufacturers have informed the CDC that as many as 154 million doses of the vaccine will be available in the United States during the 2025-2026 season.

Most insurers cover the cost of a flu vaccine. For people who pay out of pocket, the cost can be from $20 to $100.

Flu shots are generally available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and medical facilities, among other places.

There is an option for people who don’t like needles or can’t get to a place where vaccinations are given.

In September 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the FluMist nasal spray for people 2 to 49 years of age. The spray can be self-administered by an individual or given by a caregiver.

The flu vaccine recommendations are different than the CDC’s guidelines for COVID-19 shots. In May, federal officials revised their COVID-19 guidance, saying they were no longer recommending the COVID-19 vaccine to healthy adults under 65, pregnant people, and healthy children.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also voted in June to advise against using vaccines with thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative that is used in less than 5% of vaccines. However, thimerosal was removed from all childhood vaccines in the United States in 2001.

In June, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 panel members of the ACIP and has since been appointing hand-picked replacements.

When should you get a flu shot?

CDC officials say the best time to get a flu shot is in early fall, preferably before the end of October.

Cutler says there are a number of variables that could influence when you should get a flu shot. Among them is when flu season peaks, when a person is traveling, if a person has another illness, and what other vaccinations they intend to get.

“All things considered, including February being the most common month for flu outbreaks, peak activity occurring as early as October, immunity waning about 10% per month, especially in the elderly, and flu cases hitting any time of year, late October is probably the ideal time to receive the flu vaccine,” he said.

Of course, it’s never too late to get a flu shot, even if you miss the late-October target date.

This year’s vaccine has been formulated to protect against three main groups of circulating influenza viruses.

The CDC states that it takes about two weeks after a vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect a person against the flu.

CDC officials note that a flu shot doesn’t guarantee a person won’t get the flu if exposed to the influenza virus. Instead, the vaccine lowers a person’s risk of hospitalization or death from the illness from 40% to 60%.

They add that side effects from flu shots are generally mild and can range from soreness at the spot of injection to headache to fatigue to fever.

Benefits of the flu vaccine

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious viral infection that attacks a person’s respiratory system.

Influenza viruses that are contagious to people are divided into three main groups: A, B, and C. Type A influenza is considered to be the most serious risk.

Common symptoms of the flu include:

• coughing
• runny or stuffy nose
• sneezing
• sore throat
• fever
• headache
• fatigue
• chills
• body aches

In addition to vaccinations, experts say there are ways to lower your risk of contracting and spreading the flu. They include:

• regular hand washing
• avoiding large crowds during peak flu season
• covering your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze

Experts say influenza has the potential to be a serious illness for anyone who contracts it.

“There are two major reasons why it is important to get a flu vaccine,” said Cutler. “Reason number one is that the vaccine protects you. And perhaps more importantly, the vaccine protects people you might expose to flu around you who may be particularly vulnerable.”

“Despite the vaccines being only about 50% effective even in the best years when cases match closely the anticipated variants of the virus, the benefits of these vaccines vastly outweigh any risks,” he added.

Despite these warnings, a recent Washington Post poll reports that 16% of parents are either skipping or delaying vaccinations for their children. Those parents noted safety concerns and the risks of side effects as major reasons.

During the 2024-2025 season, 266 children died from influenza, the highest number recorded in a non-pandemic year since the agency began reporting this figure in 2004. About 90% of those deaths were in children who were not fully vaccinated.

Gandhi said she is worried about this trend.

“I am very concerned about the vaccine hesitancy in this country given that we know vaccines are safe and effective,” she told Healthline. “Moreover, a vaccine shows you a part of the virus to develop immunity safely without having to suffer through the illness.”

Schaffner noted that choosing not to vaccinate yourself or your children is an unwise decision.

“While it is true that flu has its most devastating effects on older persons and those with chronic medical conditions, it can strike even the young and healthy, thus the broad recommendation that everyone 6 months of age and older should get flu vaccine each year,” he said.

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• Doctors often assume heart attacks in younger people arise from blocked arteries.
• However, a new study suggests that these heart attacks often have other causes.
• The researchers noted that this was especially true for younger women.
• This is important since different treatments are needed for these heart attacks.

When doctors think about heart attacks in younger people, they typically assume the cause is the same as in older patients: blocked arteries from cholesterol buildup. 

However, a groundbreaking 15-year study of nearly 3,000 people ages 65 and under suggests this assumption may be dangerously wrong, particularly for women.

The research, published on September 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that more than half of heart attacks in younger females stem from causes other than traditional artery blockages. 

This discovery could revolutionize how emergency rooms diagnose and treat heart attacks in younger patients, potentially saving lives by ensuring that these individuals receive the correct treatment for their condition.

Uncovering hidden heart attack causes

The study, called OCTOPUS (Olmsted Cardiac Troponin in Persons Under Sixty-six), took a comprehensive approach to understanding heart attacks in younger people. 

Between 2003 and 2018, researchers tracked every person ages 65 and under in Olmsted County, Minnesota, who had elevated levels of troponin — a protein released when heart muscle is damaged.

This method was crucial because it captured heart attacks that might otherwise be missed. 

Many previous studies only included patients who arrived at hospitals with classic chest pain and obvious heart attack symptoms on their electrocardiograms. 

By casting a wider net, the Mayo Clinic team found 4,116 troponin-positive events in 2,790 people.

Two cardiologists then meticulously reviewed each case, examining medical records, heart imaging, and coronary angiograms — the X-ray movies that show blood flow through heart arteries. 

When they disagreed on a diagnosis, they brought in additional experts to reach a consensus. 

This detective work was essential because many non-traditional heart attack causes can look identical to classic blockages on initial examination.

The researchers classified each heart attack into six distinct categories based on what actually caused the heart muscle damage: traditional artery blockages (atherothrombosis), spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), blood clots from elsewhere in the body (embolism), artery spasms, supply-demand mismatches, and truly unexplained cases.

Heart attack differences in women vs. men

The results revealed dramatic gender differences that could reshape emergency medicine. 

While 75% of heart attacks in younger males were caused by traditional artery blockages, only 47% of heart attacks in females had this cause. 

The remaining 53% of heart attacks in females came from other mechanisms.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection — where an artery wall spontaneously tears — was particularly common in women, causing 11% of their heart attacks compared to less than 1% in men. 

The condition was so frequently missed that 55% of SCAD cases were initially misdiagnosed as either traditional blockages or unexplained heart attacks.

Misdiagnosis is a problem, according to the researchers, because treating SCAD like a traditional heart attack can actually make things worse. 

Procedures like angioplasty, which help unblock arteries, can be dangerous when performed on torn artery walls.

Females also had much lower overall heart attack rates — 48 per 100,000 person-years compared to 137 per 100,000 in males.

For traditional artery blockages specifically, the difference was even starker: 23 per 100,000 females versus 105 per 100,000 males.

Interestingly, when females did have traditional heart attacks, they were just as sick as males, with similar amounts of artery disease visible on angiograms. 

However, females had higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, suggesting they may need more risk factors than men to develop the same degree of heart disease.

The study also found that secondary heart attacks — those triggered by other medical emergencies like severe anemia or dangerously low blood pressure — carried the highest death rates over five years, at 33%. 

In contrast, SCAD patients had no deaths during the study period.

These findings suggest that emergency departments and cardiologists need new approaches for evaluating younger patients with possible heart attacks, particularly women, who may require different diagnostic tests and treatments than the standard protocols designed primarily around older male patients with traditional artery blockages.

Signs of heart attacks in women

Bradley Serwer, MD, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, said it is crucial to understand that not all heart attacks are identical or caused by the same events.

“Being young, healthy, and female does not guarantee immunity from heart attack,” he stressed.

Keeping this in mind, Serwer said it’s vital to listen to your body.

“If you experience new onset chest pain, shortness of breath, or severe exertional fatigue, seek medical attention immediately,” he advised.

“Do not ignore the symptoms because you may be considered low risk for a heart attack.”

When it comes to chest pain, Serwer explained that there are several key characteristics that can tell you if your pain is related to your heart:

• Your jaw pain begins during moderate exercise and subsides with rest.
• The pain is mainly on the left side of the jaw, especially when there is no redness or swelling in the jaw.
• The pain is also felt in the neck and arm.
• There is shortness of breath, sweating, or clammy skin.
• You have other cardiac risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of coronary artery disease.

Finally, Serwer noted that women do not always exhibit the classic heart attack symptom of chest pain.

“Instead, they may experience shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, or upper abdominal pain, dizziness or passing out,” he explained.

“If you experience any of these symptoms, it is imperative to seek prompt evaluation either in the Emergency Room or by your primary care physician,” said Serwer.

Advocating for yourself in healthcare settings

Michael Doney, MD, executive medical director at Biograph, explained that women and men of all ages, but especially those who are younger, should use clear, concise language when describing their symptoms to healthcare providers.

For example, you could say: “I’m experiencing aching pain in my neck and jaw, and I feel sick to my stomach and dizzy. These symptoms came on suddenly, and I have never experienced anything like this before. I have a history of autoimmune disease, and I’m concerned I’m having a heart attack.”

“Being direct helps your doctor focus on your specific symptoms and concerns, making sure they don’t mistake your symptoms for something less serious without checking for cardiovascular disease risks,” he said.

Doney also said it’s essential to understand your options and know what tests are needed to evaluate your condition, and to make it clear that you wish to have these tests performed.

“For example, an electrocardiogram (ECG), which records a tracing of the heart’s electrical activity, rate, and rhythm, is an important screening tool and is often used in conjunction with certain blood tests to assess injury to the heart muscle,” he said.

Lastly, Doney said if your doctor is resistant to your concerns, you should not hesitate to ask for a second opinion. Or bring a trusted family member or friend with you to provide support and advocacy, if needed.

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