Jen didn’t fit the profile for a heart attack – then she had three of them

Jen O’Neill had three heart attacks caused by spontaneous coronary artery dissection, which overwhelmingly affects women – often after having a baby Photograph: Jen O'Neill

At just 36, Jen O’Neill was not considered an emergency department priority for treatment for a suspected heart attack.

O’Neill, who had given birth 11 months previously, had none of the traditional precursors for a heart attack – no family history, no high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol levels – but her troponin levels confirmed the problem was in her heart.