I’m a participant in a study concerning the correlation of type 2 diabetes (which I have) and cardiovascular disease (which I didn’t think I had), and as part of the baseline testing I was given an EKG. I’ve had EKGs in the past, and no one mentioned any problem. This time, the doctor who is heading the study at this site looked at my EKG, and asked me, “when was your heart attack?”
I replied, “I’ve never had a heart attack.”
He said, “Oh yes you have, but not recently.” He couldn’t be more specific than that.
Now first of all, I’m wondering how he can determine this from a single EKG, not having a “before” picture for comparison. Could what he saw be just some anomaly that I was born with, rather than a cardiovascular event?
I can think of two instances that, in retrospective, might possibly have been heart attacks - one at least 15 years ago, and the other 11-12 years ago. In both cases I experienced profuse sweating, nausea, shaking and dizziness/lightheadness, and in both cases I was ok after several terrifying minutes, without medical help. There was no pain or tightening in my chest.
If those two experiences weren’t heart attacks, I guess it’s possible that I had one in my sleep and never knew it.
So is it possible to have a heart attack and not know it? And more importantly, is it possible to have survived it without any kind of medical intervention - especially one severe enough to leave evidence for many years?
By the way, I have made an appointment for a stress test.