Is it possible to have a heart attack and not even know it?

According to researchers at New York University Langone Medical Center, that's been the case for thousands of people.
   
The new NYU study shows a certain type heart attack can go undiagnosed. The problem is most common in the female half of the population. 
     
Women can suffer heart attacks that are caused by a buildup of plaque on the walls of their arteries, something angiograms don't catch.

"The findings show these women can essentially have a heart attack that is just like a heart attack in typical male and female patients whose coronary arteries do show blockage on an angiogram," lead study author Dr. Harmony Reynolds said in a statement.

Doctors say if a woman suffers the symptoms of a heart attack she should question her doctor before going home without treatment.

The study's findings are published in the journal Circulation.