According to an American study published last night (MON) the average time for them to present at hospital after first experiencing symptoms is two hours and 42 minutes.

Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the BHF, said part of the problem was the misplaced conception that women rarely had heart attacks.

“Because they don’t think they are at risk they don’t recognise the symptoms,” she said.

But she added: “They are also worried they are making a fuss about nothing.”

She warned: “The delay could cost them their lives.”

Only a minority of people suffered what she called a “Hollywood-style” heart attack, clutching their chest and immediately collapsing.

Most involved a degree of chest pain that could be mistaken for severe indigestion, she explained.

The quicker a patient got to hospital the better chance of surviving and limiting long-term heart damage, she said.

“It’s heartbreaking that women are still ignoring the symptoms and that relatives are needlessly being left without a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother or a friend.”

Men took marginally less time getting to hospital – two hours and 30 minutes – according to the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Previous studies have shown similar differences.

The charity is launching a campaign called The Angina Monologues today (TUES), with a comedy night hosted by Victoria Wood in December, to highlight the risk of heart disease to women.