Spotting the quiet signs of heart disease at home

With February marking National Heart Month, we’ve had some recent news coverage across the UK highlighting a simple but important early warning sign of heart disease: the marks left behind by socks.

Heart disease remains one of the UK’s biggest health challenges, affecting over 7 million people. While major events grab headlines, subtle signs often appear in everyday life long before a medical emergency.

Sabah Shah, Clinical Lead at The Good Care Group, explains: “In colder months, people naturally sit more and move less. That makes it harder to spot when tiredness, breathlessness or swelling isn’t just seasonal but a signal the heart may be under strain.”

Some early clues carers notice include:

1. The sofa warning sign: falling asleep on the sofa earlier than usual could signal fatigue caused by the heart working harder.
2. Sock marks: deep impressions around the ankles may indicate fluid retention, a possible sign of heart strain.
3. Stair avoidance: hesitation or breathlessness when climbing stairs can be an early red flag.
4. The chair shuffle: using furniture to move around or shuffling between chairs can point to weakness or dizziness.
5. Cold hands indoors: feeling unusually cold despite heating may indicate circulation issues.

Recent UK coverage of these subtle heart health signs has appeared in:
Surrey Live, Leicester Live, Kent Live, Essex Live, North Wales Live, Somerset Live, Cambridge News, LancsLive, Edinburgh Live, and Belfast Live.