Silent Disease

We worked for a 74 year-old woman who reported several weeks of chest pain and pain on the left arm. Other symptoms were shortness of breath and dizziness. In the western world, this combination of conditions would have qualified as a medical emergency of the heart. In the United States, for example, families would call the emergency number, 911. It was suggested that the woman start taking one tablet of aspirin daily and make an appointment to see a cardiologist soonest. She visited a cardiologist in approximately one week and received the following lab orders and prescriptions: