SCOTS take heart attack symptoms more seriously in others than in themselves, a study out today reveals.

SCOTS take heart attack symptoms more seriously in others than in themselves, a study out today reveals.

Even though a third of people (34%) would do the right thing by getting someone to call 999 if they reported having unusual chest pain, 68% of Scots would put their own lives at risk by not making the call.

And one in eight would potentially waste valuable time by taking their partners to the hospital themselves instead of dialling 999, a British Heart Foundation Scotland study on Heart Attack Awareness Day today found.

Professor Peter Weissberg, BHF medical director, said: "People still do not understand why it is so important to call 999 at the very first sign of a possible heart attack.

"Every second counts when you are having a heart attack and calling the emergency services immediately means you are much more likely to survive.

"A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Most people who die do so in the first few minutes because of an unstable heart rhythm.

"Properly trained ambulance staff and first responders can deal with this life-threatening emergency and increase your chance of reaching the hospital in time to receive the necessary treatment to restore the blood supply to your heart."

Every year, almost 250,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack, a third of whom die before reaching hospital often because they don't seek medical help in time.

Symptoms can vary but common ones include a pain in the centre of the chest, a pain which can spread to the arms, neck and jaw, feeling sick or sweaty and feeling short of breath.

The main reasons Scots put off calling 999 include not wanting to waste the time of emergency services (51%), doubting their symptoms are serious enough (52%), fear of embarrassment (45%) and preferring to wait and see if it gets better (32%).

Campaign supporter and TV presenter Angela Rippon, 64, who lost her father from a heart attack three years ago, said: "Many people don't realise they've having a heart attack. It's important that people find out more about the symptoms."