Subtle change to your FEET could mean you’re suffering silent heart killer, expert warns

Easy to dismiss foot problems, like cold feet or fungal infections, could be an early warning sign of deadly heart disease, an expert has warned.

The feet are often the first body part to be affected by the most common cause of heart problems — fat blocking up the blood vessels that supply the organ, as well as the rest of the body.

When blood and oxygen is unable to flow properly through the vessels and to and from the heart, the risk of heart attack and stroke dramatically increases. 

Because the blood vessels within the toes are so tiny, it doesn’t take long for them to get clogged up. 

This can result in cold, numb, painful, or swollen feet, according to pharmacist Noel Wicks.

What’s more, the compromised blood supply to the feet can also cause the toenails which can become brittle and thick, he added.

‘We need to keep an eye on our foot health, including our toenails, because it can impact on our overall health and be a sign of [serious] health issues,’ he told The Express. 

Research has found that around one in four ‘healthy’ people aged over 60 have undiagnosed heart disease.  

A fat build-up in the blood vessels — known medically as peripheral artery disease (PAD) — can also cause problems further up in the leg, experts say.

This includes a painful ache in the legs when walking, which usually disappears after a few minutes’ rest.

‘The pain can range from mild to severe, and usually goes away after a few minutes when you rest your legs,’ said Mr Wicks.

‘Both legs are often affected at the same time, although the pain may be worse in one leg.

Tingling, pain, burning, dry skin, cracked skin, blisters or sores that don’t heal, fungal infections and athlete’s foot, are also foot symptoms to be looking out for. 

Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, affects about 2.3 million people in the UK

Problems with your feet could also be a sign of type 2 diabetes. 

Unusually high levels of blood sugar caused by the disease can damage the delicate blood vessels in the feet, leading to a host of problems.

Commonly, the blood vessel damage leads to the destruction of the nerves that supply the feet, which means sufferers struggle to notice when they’re injured — leading to wounds that fail to heal.

For this reason, diabetes sufferers are also more vulnerable to fungal foot infections, such as athlete’s foot and toenail fungus.

Diabetes may cause persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss or tiredness after meals.