Conventional wisdom says that women experience heart attacks differently than men, but a new study says the gap is not that big.

"Both the media and some patient educational materials frequently suggest that women experience symptoms of a heart attack very differently from men," said cardiac nurse Martha Mackay, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research fellow in a news release about the study. "These findings suggest that this is simply not the case."

A team studied 305 patients undergoing angioplasty, which can cause symptoms similar to a heart attack. There were no differences between men and women in rates of discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or clammy skin.

The study did find that women were more likely to have other symptoms such as throat, jaw and neck discomfort.

Mackay said the myth may come from medical staff not asking women about the typical symptoms and women not mentioning them if not asked. She suggested that instead of asking specific, closed questions such as about chest pain, they ask questions such as, "What else hurts?"

The university said that the typical symptoms of a heart attack are:

Pain

Sudden discomfort or pain that does not go away with rest

Pain that may be in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, arms or back

Pain that may feel like burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure

Chest pain or discomfort that is brought on with exertion and goes away with rest

Shortness of breath

Difficulty breathing

Nausea

Indigestion

Vomiting

Sweating

Cool, clammy skin

Fear

Anxiety