As most people are born with a healthy heart they tend to think they have years before they need to worry about heart problems.^1a However, complications can occur at any age – all the more reason to give your heart the support it deserves.^1b

Located centrally in your chest, between your lungs, leaning slightly to the left, your heart is approximately the size of your clenched fist.²

If you gently press down on an artery anywhere under your skin, on your neck or just under your thumb on the inside of your wrist for example, you can feel your pulse or heart ‘beat’. ^3a Your heart beat is in fact the muscular walls of your heart contracting (squeezing) non-stop, keeping you alive by pumping blood throughout your body.^3b This is important for supplying the oxygen and nutrients your body needs to work properly.^3c

The terms cardiovascular disease and heart disease are often used interchangeably to describe heart problems but they are not the same thing. Cardiovascular disease is a general term for conditions affecting the heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular). When people speak of heart disease they usually mean coronary heart disease.

Your heart needs oxygen to work properly. Coronary heart disease is a condition where the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart is blocked or reduced, putting increased strain on your heart, which can trigger:^5a

When most people think of signs of heart trouble they think of chest pain, which is the most obvious warning sign. However, your first symptom might not be a pain in your chest. In some cases, heart trouble such as a heart attack, can occur without an obvious warning sign. ^{1c, 6a}

• Chest pain, heaviness, tightness, pressure, a pinching or burning sensation
• Pain in your shoulders and arms, particularly down your left arm, throat, jaw or back
• Shortness of breath from small bursts of activity that do not usually make you breathless
• Swollen hands, legs, feet or ankles

The more risk factors you have the more likely you are to put excess pressure on your heart and develop heart problems. While genetics are a factor, lifestyle choices good and bad can significantly impact your heart health.8

• Gender (males are more likely to have heart problems)
• Increasing age
• Genetics – heredity or family history of heart problems
• Post-menopausal women^9a

• Smoking – stop
• High ‘bad’ cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Physical inactivity
• Obesity and overweight (particularly around the waist)
• Diabetes
• Uncontrolled stress
• Too much alcohol
• Healthy diet^9b

If you are worried about developing heart problems, talk to your doctor. He or she will advise you about what you can do to reduce your risk, and maintain or improve your heart health, particularly if there is a history of cardiovascular problems in your family.