Dr Bakhai warned many adults fail to recognise signs of poor heart health
A heart doctor has shared 10 symptoms keep an eye on to ensure good health of your heart(Image: Getty Images)
A leading cardiologist has outlined the top ten heart symptoms that should never be ignored, warning that even seemingly minor signs can indicate serious cardiac issues. Sweating with light exercise, nausea alongside chest discomfort, and feeling unusually tired on waking are among the warning signals highlighted by Dr Ameet Bakhai, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation.
Dr Bakhai explained that other indicators of poor heart health include heaviness in the arm during exertion, shortness of breath when climbing stairs, and frequent extra or missed heartbeats. Difficulty bending down and standing up, feeling dizzy when rising quickly, and swollen legs can also signal that the heart is struggling to adapt to changes in position or is retaining excess fluid, Mirror reports.
Yet research involving 2,000 adults found that 54 percent would not link most of these symptoms to their heart, and around half have experienced at least one of them at some point. Dr Bakhai, who specialises in how lifestyle factors influence cardiac health, emphasised the importance of functional benchmarks for heart wellness.
A healthy adult, he said, should be able to run up two flights of stairs without getting out of breath and squat comfortably on a toilet, assuming no other medical conditions are present. Similarly, they should be able to hold their breath for 20 seconds with ease.
He added: “We often ignore our heart health and its signals until it’s too late. There’s no annual MOT to be passed for most of us, so we ignore the small signals that our own engine is not performing ideally. Heart issues can often get progressively worse, until one day you have a more complicated issue that could have been avoided if you’d heeded the warning signs.”
The cardiologist also highlighted how heart problems can overlap with other conditions. “You might consider not being able to run up two flights of stairs more of a lung condition, or a lack of fitness, or weight gain, but there is a lot of overlap with coronary artery disease, heart valve problems, or irregular heart rhythms.
“So looking after your heart health is essential and should be planned as a new year resolution every year.”
Dr Bakhai warned that heart disease can affect people of all ages, particularly in the post-Covid era, noting that the virus can attack the heart and its lining, a condition known as myopericarditis.
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“Warning signs like chest tightness, aches in your arms or jaw, dizziness on standing, and breathlessness when bending down should act like a wake-up call that your heart is calling out for help.
“Becoming heart aware is vital, and more than half of those in the survey were not aware that if their partner had suffered a cardiac episode in the last five years, their own risk factors were likely increased due to shared lifestyle habits.”
Dr Bakhai has been advising Healthspan’s Love Your Heart supplement range, which commissioned the research, and stresses that recognising early warning signs is critical to prevention.
The ten heart symptoms you should never ignore are:
- Dizziness on standing up quickly
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty bending down
- Palpitations
- Tightness of the chest
- Arm or neck pain, often on the left side
- Difficulty standing up
- Chest discomfort (excluding tightness)
- Swollen legs
- Frequent extra or skipped heartbeats
