Is your age hiding a heart problem? Cardiologist shares 5 symptoms that you can't ignore

Discover five alarming symptoms of leaking heart valves often mistaken for ageing, and learn when to seek medical help for your heart health.

As we age, we often think new health symptoms are just part of getting older. However, some of these symptoms may signal a serious issue, like a leaky heart valve. Recognize symptoms that could indicate heart problems instead of simply attributing them to age. Here are five key signs that could suggest a heart valve issue. Distinguishing normal aging from possible heart issues is essential for staying healthy.

Cardiologist shares 5 symptoms that people mistake for aging (Getty Images)

By Tavishi Dogra

Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust.

Career journey and experience
Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon.

From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?”

Subject expertise
With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions.

In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context.

Education and professional background
Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first.

Editorial Philosophy
I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers.

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How long can someone live with a leaking heart valve?

So, Dr Ravinder Singh Rao, the Chief Interventional Cardiologist, shares the five main symptoms that people generally think might be related to age and not to a heart valve problem:

1. Fatigue

Fatigue means difficulty performing physical activities that a person could do comfortably six months or a year ago. Most of the time, we see patients and their families complaining of tiredness and fatigue. Patients take longer to complete activities they once did comfortably. Many people mistakenly assume this is due to advanced age. Let us take an example. A 75-year-old individual now finds difficulty in going for a walk. He takes twice as long to walk the same distance as he did six months ago. People may assume this is age-related.

My key point is that six months ago, the person was also 75 years of age, and six months later, he is still the same age. Why would fatigue appear suddenly? Fatigue is an important symptom of a valve problem. A leaking valve prevents the blood from flowing forward through the body. As a result, the muscles don't get enough blood to function during physical activity, which can lead to fatigue. If someone has excessive fatigue, they should see a cardiologist. Once anemia and other factors are ruled out, a 2D echo should be done.

2. Palpitations

Palpitations refer to an awareness of one’s own heartbeat. Sometimes, a person may think that palpitations are related to anxiety. We often come across patients and their families who think that, as the patient is aging, they are becoming more anxious and that anxiety is responsible for the palpitations. But it is the other way around. If someone experiences unusual or severe palpitations and is aware of their heartbeat, they should see a cardiologist, have their heart checked, and undergo relevant blood tests to identify other causes. They should also make sure that there is no leaking valve.

How does a leaking valve cause palpitations?

The heart is designed to pump approximately 5 liters of blood every minute. That is about 70 milliliters of blood per heartbeat, and the heart beats about 70 times per minute, moving around 4,900 milliliters of blood every minute. With a leaking valve, the heart has to pump more blood. The heart then has to pump this additional volume. It pumps with greater force, making the heartbeat faster and stronger. This is called palpitation.

3. Difficulty sleeping at night

This is a very common symptom in elderly patients. Patients may report difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Can this be heart-related? Yes. Difficulty sleeping due to a heart problem is called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. These patients go to bed and, after two to three hours, experience difficulty breathing. They sit up in bed and gasp for breath. In a leaking heart valve, called mitral regurgitation, when patients lie down, blood flows backward toward the lungs instead of moving forward. The lungs become filled with fluid, causing a choking sensation.

Patients have to sit up in bed. They sit for a couple of hours, then can go back to sleep comfortably. This is not simply a lack of sleep or an inability to sleep. It may be heart failure caused by a leaking valve. How do we decide whether it is insomnia or a heart problem? If the symptom is new, for example, a patient slept comfortably six months ago but now finds it difficult to sleep, it raises a red flag for a heart problem. The patient should see a doctor and get a 2D echo.

4. Swelling of the feet

Patients who have leaking heart valves may develop swelling in their legs or feet. Over the course of the day, the swelling may increase to the point that, by evening, they have difficulty wearing their footwear. With a leaking valve, the heart cannot pump enough blood. The blood does not circulate properly, leading to increased venous pressure and causing blood stasis. This can cause fluid to leak from the veins and arteries, accumulating in the legs. If someone notices new-onset swelling in the feet, it could signal a heart problem. The person should contact a doctor or physician for evaluation.

5. Breathlessness

Breathlessness is the most common symptom that a patient with heart failure or heart disease may experience. Breathlessness refers to shortness of breath or difficulty breathing when a person tries to do physical activity they were previously able to do comfortably. We come across patients who say, “Six months ago, I was walking 5 kilometers, but now I get breathless after walking even 1 kilometer.” They may attribute this to aging. This is not necessarily an aging problem. If there is new-onset breathlessness that was not present in the past, or progressive— for example, the distance has reduced from 5 kilometers to 4 kilometers and then to 1 kilometer— along with breathlessness in the middle of the night, this indicates a strong possibility of a heart problem and a leaking heart valve.

The person should see a cardiologist immediately, have a 2D echocardiogram, and undergo an evaluation. A timely diagnosis can sometimes help us manage these patients with medicines alone. We can tailor medical therapy so that, if we diagnose a leaking valve at the right stage, we can prevent its progression. However, if the disease has progressed to the point that medicines no longer work, we can repair these valves with a catheter-based procedure. Studies show these procedures can improve survival and reduce recurrent hospitalizations. We should watch for our symptoms. We should see our family physician when symptoms arise and have our heart evaluated so the disease can be detected and treated at the right stage.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)