Sometimes heartburn -- or as my Italian grandmother calls it, agida -- is just that. It's uncomfortable, it's annoying, and it's no fun whatsoever. It's also not cause for any great concern. Most of the time, anyway.

For women who are getting up there in age, however, a little chest pain may be more than a simple case of heartburn. It could be a heart attack. This is because the chances of feeling a heart attack drops with age and, as a recent study from the National Institute of Health shows, women are less likely than men to recognize the signs of a first heart attack. This is likely because women tend to have their first infarction about 10 years later than men.

While this doesn't mean that a trip to the emergency room is necessary every time you feel a little heartburn or indigestion, it's certainly worth being aware and in tune with what your body could potentially be telling you.