Heart attacks in fit women in their 30s and 40s: The hidden risk doctors want you to know

Heart attacks in fit women in their 30s and 40s: The hidden risk doctors want you to know Cardiologists Dr Rajiv Gulati of Mayo Clinic and Dr Ambuj Roy of AIIMS Delhi explain why SCAD can trigger heart attacks in younger women.

Key points

• 6 min read New Delhi Sep 29, 2026 07: 19 AM IST.
• Top cardiologists explain why Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) can trigger heart attacks and what patients must know.
• This is the Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), a hidden, sudden type of heart attack caused by a spontaneous tear or bruise inside a cardiac artery.
• It was only after menopause that a woman's risk of heart attack and cardiovascular diseases was seen as equal to men.

Top cardiologists explain why Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) can trigger heart attacks and what patients must know. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock).

For long, women were thought to be at a low risk of heart attacks in their younger years considering the female hormone estrogen helps keep blood vessels flexible and reduces inflammation. It was only after menopause that a woman's risk of heart attack and cardiovascular diseases was seen as equal to men. As younger apparently fit women in their 30s and 40s are increasingly reporting heart attacks without any risk factors like cholesterol, blood sugar or smoking, a new condition has caught the attention of researchers globally, nevertheless.

This is the Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), a hidden, sudden type of heart attack caused by a spontaneous tear or bruise inside a cardiac artery. In a normal heart attack, a cholesterol-rich plaque in a heart artery usually ruptures or erodes, causing a blood clot that obstructs blood flow. "Instead of the artery being blocked by slow-growing cholesterol or fat, the wall of the blood vessel unexpectedly splits, trapping blood inside the lining and blocking the flow of oxygen to the heart. The artery is squeezed, " notes Dr Rajiv Gulati, Chair of the Division of Interventional Cardiology in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic. This person has been specialising in women's heart health. Notably, the American Heart Association's 2026 scientific statement on acute coronary syndromes in premenopausal women highlights SCAD as an under-recognised difficulty. "Young women account for approximately 80-90% of SCAD cases. Among women under 50 who have a heart attack, SCAD may account for as plenty of as one-third of cases, " states Dr Ambuj Roy, Professor of Cardiology, AIIMS, Delhi.

In short, heart attacks in fit women in their 30s and 40s: The hidden is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.