The trust that runs Great Western Hospital in Swindon published the update on 17 September 2026 to mark World Patient Safety Day. It said it has taken a tailored approach to diagnosing heart attacks in men and women since 2018.
What is different about the test?
Doctors look for cardiac troponin, a protein released when heart muscle is damaged. The trust explained that women generally have smaller hearts and may have lower troponin levels even when the heart has been significantly injured.
Great Western Hospital therefore uses sex-specific reference ranges, so men and women are judged against different thresholds. In the trust's words: "Using the same diagnostic threshold for everyone risks missing some women with heart damage."
The trust said it has consistently low heart attack death rates. Its article did not give figures.
Symptoms to know
The trust said women may have heart attack symptoms other than chest pain, including:
- shortness of breath
- nausea
- unusual tiredness
- discomfort that feels like indigestion
- back pain or jaw pain
Anyone with possible heart attack symptoms should call 999.
More from Swindo: Great Western Hospital.