Doctor reveals little-known signs you could have a heart attack at any minute READ MORE: Change to your FEET could mean you're suffering silent heart killer By REBECCA WHITTAKER FOR MAILONLINE Published: 09:11, 22 February 2025 | Updated: 09:11, 22 February 2025 e-mail View comments Every five minutes someone in the UK is hospitalised with a heart attack - but less than half of Brits know about a major warning sign that one is about to strike. Chest pains and and being short of breathe are well-known red flags, but it's vital to watch out for lesser-known symptoms like a change in eye colour and swollen legs, GP Dr Bhavini Shah has warned. One particularly bizarre sign is a phenomenon known as digital clubbing, which describes the thickening and widening of the fingernails.
It happens because oxygenated blood is not reaching the fingers, triggering the over-production of a substance that accelerates the growth of nail tissue. Also relatively unknown is a grey ring around the outside of the iris, the coloured part of the eye. About 45 per cent of people over the age of 40 have this fatty halo around their iris, rising to about 70 per cent of people over the age of 60, research shows.
And its presence has been linked to coronary heart disease - as it may indicate that levels of cholesterol - the fatty substance that blocks blood vessels - are too high. Dr Shah, who is a medic with LloydsPharmacy , warned Brits to watch out for leg swelling, medically known as oedema. Dr Bhavini.