Heart health after 40: warning signs not to dismiss as ageing

Some symptoms after 40 may point to heart trouble rather than ageing, says Dr Anup Taksande of KIMS Hospitals, Thane. Erectile dysfunction in men can appear two to five years before symptomatic heart disease, as smaller arteries show damage first. Not every case is cardiac, he notes, but persistent symptoms warrant checks of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol.