We Asked 3 Cardiologists What Heart Disease Symptom You Should Never Ignore, and They All Said the Same Thing

For the last century, heart disease has sat atop the list as the most common cause of death among U.S. adults. And symptoms often start with something other than the severe or sudden chest pain that signals a heart attack.

“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, yet many people either don’t recognize early warning signs or misinterpret them as something minor,” saysDr. Tina Shah, MD, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle. “The sooner symptoms are identified, the sooner treatment can begin, which dramatically improves survival and reduces long-term damage to the heart.”

Heart health treatment also includes managing risk factors for cardiac events and cardiovascular disease. So, what are heart disease and heart attack risk factors to know about?

“In no particular order: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar (diabetes), high inflammatory state, high stress, smoking, lack of exercise and family history of heart attack,” states Dr. Lu Chen, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist with MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center.

Your doctor can help you assess your personal risk for heart attacks. and disease. However, if any of the above risk factors sound familiar, you’ll want to be especially aware of the common red flags for heart failure and heart attacks.

Read on for the top overlooked symptoms cardiologists are warning people to never ignore—whether they have heart disease risk factors or not.

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Never Ignore This Heart Disease Symptom, Cardiologists Say

“Shortness of breath—especially during activities that used to feel easy, like walking, climbing stairs or doing household chores—can be a red flag for heart trouble,” warns Dr. Aye Thandar Win, MD, a cardiologist with Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix.

You may think shortness of breath is a sign of a lung issue, so here’s a reminder that your heart doesn’t operate in a vacuum.

“Shortness of breath basically means that the heart or lung cannot keep up with the oxygen demand of the body,” Dr. Chen explains. “A heart attack reduces the blood supply to the heart muscles. The end result is that the heart muscles cannot function properly to supply oxygen to the rest of the body, which leads to shortness of breath.”

The promising news is that people do tend to see shortness of breath as a red flag: Data published in Circulation in 2022 noted that increased shortness of breath was one of the top reasons people experiencing heart failure sought hospitalization. Yet, cardiologists have seen firsthand that many people still write off shortness of breath, even if they already have a heart disease risk factor like diabetes.

“Shortness of breath often develops gradually and can be blamed on stress, aging, lack of fitness, weight gain or being busy,” Dr. Shah notes. “Many people also believe heart attacks are sudden and dramatic, like in movies, so they doubt themselves when symptoms are subtle. This normalization is one of the biggest reasons people delay care.”

Dr. Win agrees that Hollywood hasn’t helped.

“Movies reinforce this idea, but many people experience symptoms, including shortness of breath, for days or weeks or even months beforehand,” Dr. Win explains. “They just ignored the symptoms or rationalized them away. Self-doubt plays a role, too. People worry about overreacting or ‘wasting’ a doctor’s time, especially if symptoms come and go.”

Related: 8 Real People Explain Exactly What Having a Heart Attack Feels Like

What To Do if You Notice Shortness of Breath

Flagging a potential heart attack or failure, such as if you have shortness of breath, is not an example of wasting healthcare providers’ time. If you notice new or worsening shortness of breath, Dr. Win urges you to:

• Stop the activity and rest

• Contact your healthcare provider promptly

• Seek emergency care if it’s sudden, severe or accompanied by other symptoms (chest discomfort, dizziness and nausea)

“If breathing feels unusually difficult or frightening, call emergency services immediately,” Dr. Win says.

All of this applies whether you have known risk factors or not.

“Heart disease can still occur, and symptoms like shortness of breath may be the first sign,” Dr. Sah notes. “They should discuss it with a healthcare professional, particularly if it’s persistent, limits activity or is accompanied by other symptoms.”

Of course, your shortness of breath may not be related to a heart attack or failure—but it’s still worth it to get it checked out.

“There are multitudes of reasons to have shortness of breath, such as asthma, atrial fibrillation and pulmonary embolism,” Dr. Chen reports. “Some of those diseases have no traditional heart disease risk factors associated.”

Bottom line: “When in doubt, it’s safer to seek help than to wait,” Dr. Shah emphasizes.

Related: Why Women’s Hearts Age Differently—and How To Protect Yours

Other Common Heart Attack Signs

Shortness of breath is one sign of a heart attack, but not the only one. Dr. Win urges people to look out for other flags, including:

• Chest pain, pressure or tightness

• Pain in the jaw, neck, back, shoulder or arm

• Lightheadedness or fainting

“Remember that not everyone experiences classic chest pain, especially women, older adults and people with diabetes,” Dr. Win says.

Up Next:

Related: This Rising Number Isn’t ‘Normal’ Just Because You’re Aging, Cardiologists Warn

Sources:

• Dr. Lu Chen, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist with  MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center

• State of the Science: The Relevance of Symptoms in Cardiovascular Disease and Research: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation.

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.