How long can you have heart disease and not know?

You may not even know you've had a silent heart attack until weeks or months after it happens. It's best to know what's normal for your body and get help when something doesn't feel right.

Can you have heart disease for years and not know it?

10, 2015, Journal of the American Medical Association looked at almost 2,000 people ages 45 to 84 (half of whom were men) who were free of cardiovascular disease. After 10 years, 8% had myocardial scars, which are evidence of a heart attack. Most surprising was that 80% of these people were unaware of their condition.

How long does heart disease take to develop?

Coronary artery disease often develops over decades. Symptoms may go unnoticed until a significant blockage causes problems or a heart attack occurs. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle can help prevent coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease may also be called coronary heart disease.

How long can coronary heart disease go unnoticed?

This causes the heart attack to go unnoticed, often being recognized only days, months or even years following its presentation. As circulation is affected, part of the heart muscle dies. Silent heart attacks occur more commonly in men than in women; however, silent heart attacks are more often fatal for women.

Can you miss the signs of heart disease?

Most people don't even notice the early signs of heart failure (if there are any signs at all). Plus, most symptoms of heart failure, especially when the condition becomes chronic, can be vague or feel like other health conditions—so some people can have heart failure and not even know it.

What are the telltale signs of heart disease?

What heart conditions go undetected?

Milder septal defects (commonly referred to as a hole in the heart), subaortic stenosis (a restriction on blood pumping out of the left ventricle to the rest of the body), mitral valve prolapse or bicuspid aortic valve can go unnoticed.

What are 4 signs your heart is failing you?

Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down. Fatigue and weakness. Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat.

What is the silent killer heart disease?

It's a chronic medical condition that's diagnosed when the pressure inside your arteries is higher than normal, and only one in four people with hypertension have the condition under control. Hypertension is often called “the silent killer,” because the condition has no warning signs.

What happens if you ignore heart disease?

In addition to heart attacks, CAD can lead to other medical problems including angina, which causes chest pain and discomfort, or arrhythmia which is an irregular heartbeat. Over time angina can weaken the heart muscle and cause heart failure. Heart attack symptoms can range from mild discomfort to gripping pain.

Can heart disease symptoms last for months?

For some people, symptoms can occur months or even longer before a heart attack occurs, Dr. Xu says. For others, they might not experience anything before a heart attack happens.

What is the first stage of heart disease?

The early stage refers to the conditions that cause cardiovascular disease, including: High blood pressure. High cholesterol. High triglycerides.

What age does heart disease start?

Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35–64) are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life.

What age are you most likely to get heart disease?

Adults age 65 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which is problems with the heart, blood vessels, or both. Aging can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels that may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Can you be healthy and still have heart disease?

Life contains no guarantees: yes, even if you live a healthy lifestyle you still can develop heart problems — particularly if you have been born with "bad" genes that make you vulnerable to heart disease.

How do they rule out heart disease?

Besides blood tests and a chest X-ray, tests to diagnose heart disease can include: Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). An ECG is a quick and painless test that records the electrical signals in the heart. It can tell if the heart is beating too fast or too slowly.

How do you rule out heart disease?

Can you live a long normal life with heart disease?

People who understand their condition make better decisions, live a longer life and feel better. It is possible to lead a normal life, even if you have Heart Failure. Understanding and taking control of Heart Failure is the key to success.

How long do you have to live with heart disease?

Overall, life expectancy may decrease by about 8-10% of your expected life. For example, a person with no heart disease will be expected to die around age 85, but in the presence of a heart attack, the life expectancy will be reduced by 10% or 8.5 years.

What is the last stage of heart disease?

Patients are considered to be in the terminal end stage of heart disease when they have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make a clinical determination of congestive heart failure life expectancy.

How do I know if my heart is OK?

Checking your pulse

Taking a pulse is a very important part of heart health checks. It measures the number of heart beats per minute, assesses if the pulse is regular or not, and identifies the strength of the pulse. Your nurse or doctor may check your pulse, or you can check it yourself.

Does heart disease mean death?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2020—that's 1 in every 5 deaths.

What heart disease kills the most?

About 697,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that's 1 in every 5 deaths. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease, killing approximately 382,820 people annually.

How do you feel when your heart is failing?

Rapid or Irregular Heartbeat The heart may speed up to compensate for its failing ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body. Patients may feel a fluttering in the heart (palpitations) or a heartbeat that seems irregular or out of rhythm. This often is described as a pounding or racing sensation in the chest.

What does a weak heart feel like?

Weakness or dizziness. Discomfort in your chest; you may feel a pressure or weight in your chest with activity or when going out in cold air. Palpitations (this may feel like a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, skipped beats, or a flip-flop feeling in your chest.)

What are late stages of heart failure?

Common symptoms in end-stage heart failure include:

Persistent cough. Fatigue. Limitation of physical activity. Depression and anxiety.