Singapore Heart Foundation launches HELP tool to enable women to spot heart attack symptoms

The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) has introduced an acronym to help women recognise less obvious symptoms of a heart attack.

Called HELP, the acronym stands for:

• Heaviness over the chest and shortness of breath
• Extreme fatigue or unusual tiredness
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• Pain beyond the chest, such as in the neck, jaw, shoulders or upper back

The tool was unveiled at SHF’s United Hearts, One Cause event on Thursday (May 7), which focused on raising awareness of atypical heart attack symptoms in women. The campaign’s tagline is “Spot HELP, Act Fast”, to encourage early medical attention.

SHF said its women’s heart health survey pointed to clear awareness gaps. While 85 per cent of respondents recognised common warning signs such as chest pain, fewer than half were able to identify less obvious symptoms, including extreme fatigue and pain outside the chest area.

The survey also found that just 11 per cent knew cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in Singapore, and only 16 per cent said they felt well informed about heart disease.

Dr Chan Wan Xian, committee chairperson of SHF’s Go Red for Women campaign, which aims to raise awareness of heart disease in women, said the tool was designed to make information easier to remember.

“The launch of the HELP mnemonic reflects our continued efforts to make heart health knowledge simple, accessible and actionable for all women,” she said.

“Importantly, we also hope to spark open conversations about women’s heart health so that no symptom is dismissed and no time is lost.”