Subtle signs, big risks: AdventHealth physician explains why you should not ignore heart attack symptoms

Last May, Reena Caprario, 54, thought her nagging pain in her left shoulder blade – which sometimes came through to her chest – was just acid reflux. But what seemed minor turned out to be a heart attack—one she nearly ignored.

For almost a week, Caprario dismissed the symptoms. Even when the pain worsened during a shopping trip with her daughter, she tried running up and down stairs at the mall to ease it. The pain went away but came back later that night along with a bad toothache. By the next morning, she was in the emergency room at AdventHealth Apopka, where Dr. Linus Wodi, AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute cardiologist, confirmed the shocking news: she had suffered a heart attack.

“It’s not uncommon for people to think their symptoms are GI-related, like acid reflux,” explained Wodi. “Especially for women, heart attacks can present subtly, with signs like back pain, fatigue, nausea, or cold sweats instead of classic chest pain.”

A plaque buildup in Caprario’s arteries caused her heart attack, which ruptured and blocked blood flow. Wodi likens it to a “log jamming up a dam and cutting off the waterflow.” Her treatment included an innovative procedure called Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), in which a colleague of Wodi, and fellow cardiologist, Dr. Brian Dublin, performed the next day. This innovative procedure uses a thin tube, or catheter, to guide a balloon over a thin wire to clear the blockage, and a stent is placed to keep the artery open.

“When I woke up, Dr. Dublin told my husband and I that he was surprised my heart fought so hard to keep me alive,” said Caprario. “At that point, I started to cry. I wasn’t ready to leave my family behind.”

Shortly after her procedure, Caprario began the 12-week Cardiac Rehab program at AdventHealth Waterman, where she learned how to strengthen her heart through monitored exercise and healthy lifestyle changes.

“You wear a heart monitor during workouts, so the team ensures you’re getting the right intensity,” she said. “I also learned how to make better choices, like cooking with avocado oil, only eating egg whites and looking at the amounts of cholesterol, sugar and carbs in all the foods I eat.”

Caprario’s journey highlights the importance of early action. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for the last 100 years, but simple steps can lower your risk.

Her physician encourages everyone to prioritize annual checkups with a primary care or family physician, to screen for heart disease, including tests for cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

“Knowing your risk factors is key,” Wodi said. “While factors like age and family history can’t be controlled, other risk factors can be managed like exercising regularly, managing hypertension and diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.”

Caprario, who has diabetes, is a former smoker and has a family history of heart disease, plans to get in better cardiovascular shape in 2025 by incorporating running into her exercise routine. She hopes her story inspires others to take charge of their health.

“Listen to your body,” she urged. “If something feels off, don’t wait. It’s a warning sign, go get it checked right away.”

“Time is muscle,” said Wodi. “In other words, your heart is a muscle and if someone is having a heart attack, the sooner blood flow is restored to the heart muscles by clearing the blocked artery the better it is for the patient.”

Serving more than 72,000 patients each year, including approximately 4,650 who undergo heart surgery, our cardiac care centers are supported by a team of more than 1,000 specially trained nurses and technicians. To find a doctor in your area and take an online heart risk assessment, click here.