Protect your heart

Get a second opinion

‘If you're not happy with your GP's assessment, keep going and don't take no for an answer,' says Dr Naidoo. And if you are given the all-clear despite persistent symptoms, ask for further investigations. ‘ECGs have a relatively poor pick-up rate in women,' adds Dr Naidoo. Alternatives include stress echocardiography (although this may be less effective in overweight women or those with certain disease patterns), SPECT scanning (shown to be highly effective in diagnosing CHD in women), PET scanning (not widely available) and CMR scanning (cardiac magnetic resonance), which is used only in expert centres.