Early signs of heart disease: What to look for
9 Minutes
Team Curative
Jun 1, 2025
Heart disease is an umbrella term that includes many different cardiovascular conditions. While its signs, symptoms, and side effects may vary from person to person, it is always considered a serious medical diagnosis. Patients can help reduce their risk of heart disease through preventive care, including exercise and a nutritious diet.
Because heart disease is one of the leading medical risks in Texas, it is more important than ever that its residents have an insurance plan that covers health screenings and supports heart health.
Take some time to review the most common signs and symptoms of heart disease and stay prepared with preventive care that equips you with the tools to live a healthy and productive life.
How common is heart disease?
Establishing a baseline understanding of the prevalence of heart disease provides helpful context surrounding the importance of recognizing its early signs. The statistics might surprise you:
Leading Cause of Death: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 in every 5 deaths. In 2024, 931,578 people died from heart disease.
Frequency of Heart Attacks: Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 40 seconds. Annually, about 805,000 Americans experience a heart attack, with 605,000 being first-time incidents and 200,000 occurring in individuals who have had previous heart attacks. Notably, about 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent, meaning the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD): CHD is the most common type of heart disease, causing 375,476 every year. Approximately 1 in 20 adults aged 20 and older have CHD, which is about 5% of the adult population.
Economic Impact: From 2019 to 2020, heart disease cost the United States about $252.2 billion. This figure includes healthcare services, medications, and lost productivity due to death.
Awareness Gap: Despite its prevalence, more than half of U.S. adults (51%) are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the country — an awareness gap that might impact their willingness to get health screenings.
The first signs of heart disease
As you familiarize yourself with the early symptoms of heart disease, you can better identify when to seek care. They can help you identify common issues that lead to heart disease and offer a personalized treatment plan to relieve symptoms before they become life-threatening.
Some of the initial signs of heart problems can include:
Difficulty Breathing: Shortness of breath may occur due to the heart’s inability to pump the necessary amount of blood throughout the body. This blood can get backed up in the veins and arteries, which are meant to carry it out to your heart. The buildup causes excess fluid to spill into your lungs, making each breath feel strained. You may have a tough time breathing during times of high activity or while lying on your back.
Pain in the Chest: Chest pain is one of the most common signs of heart trouble and, according to the American Heart Association, a symptom of an oncoming heart attack. Chest pain can also be a sign of something unrelated to heart disease, so it is best to seek medical advice from your primary care physician immediately. Different types of chest pain can indicate a number of cardiovascular issues. Angina, for example, is a type of chest pain that comes from improper blood flow to the heart. Whether mild or crushing, sharp or burning, chest pain indicates the body is reacting to blood flow complications near the heart.
Fatigue: This symptom occurs more commonly in women rather than men. However, everyone is susceptible to this symptom of cardiovascular failure and other heart-related conditions. If you are feeling more fatigued than usual, you should visit your doctor to assess whether or not your sudden weakness could be a result of an imminent heart attack.
Sudden Swelling: Swelling is an indicator that your blood is not flowing optimally. Heart problems often occur when your blood flow is impacted by a clog, preventing it from traveling to other parts of your body. Your extremities, such as your arms and legs, are typically the first to experience the symptoms of swelling. This swelling can also travel to your stomach or abdomen, causing newfound weight gain that may also indicate circulatory issues.
Heart Palpitations: When the heart can’t pump blood efficiently, it may try to increase blood flow by beating faster. This can cause palpitations that result in a throbbing feeling in the chest. Heart palpitations can be an indicator of a condition known as atrial fibrillation, although it may also be your body’s response to stress. It can feel as though your heartbeats are irregular, which may affect your breathing as well. Heart palpitations may also be accompanied by anxiety or a growing sense of panic as it becomes difficult to regulate your breathing.
These symptoms can appear simultaneously or individually. If these symptoms occur, it’s recommended that you visit your primary physician for a health screening right away.
Take a preventive approach with heart health screening
Upon recognizing the early signs of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions, it’s important to schedule a health screening with a primary physician. Your primary care physician may refer you to a heart specialist for further treatment. Depending on the type of heart condition and the severity of symptoms present, medications may be prescribed to reverse some of the most pressing effects on your heart health.
Members of the employer-sponsored Curative Health Plan can access comprehensive services like health screenings as soon as you join. You also get $0 out-of-pocket costs for covered services and preferred prescriptions right from the start and can keep it with the completion of a Baseline Visit. By breaking down the financial barriers to care, members are more likely to take their medications and get care when they need it instead of waiting for it when it is costlier and more complicated.
During the visit, you work with your Care Navigator to tailor an individualized, preventive care plan and identify areas of opportunity and potential problems from the start of the plan. This way, members better understand their plans, the Member Portal, and can access the right resources at the right time through our easy-to-navigate Provider Search. There’s so much more that comes with a Curative plan: No-Hassle meds:
Curative members can access the Curative Drug Formulary, offering $0 drug options for most conditions.
Prescriptions can be filled at any in-network pharmacy.
Members can also use the Curative Pharmacy, which provides delivery as soon as the next day.
Members can access $0 therapy from therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists included in the Provider Search.
Remote therapy is available through partnerships listed here.
The Curative Cash Card offers a convenient payment option for mental health providers who do not take insurance, expanding the network.
24/7/365 telehealth access is available Curative Telehealth.
Members can receive $0 telemedicine care in under 10 minutes via messaging, audio, or video chat.sease/news/20031103/fatigue-may-warn-of-womens-heart-attacks
About Curative
Curative is a health plan employees love for its affordability, engagement, and simplicity. With $0 copays and deductibles, members can get the care they need when they need it without the financial burden. Imagine — a health plan that actually delivers better health without hurting your wallet.
Learn more about our affordable health insurance plans.
*Every Curative member can continue to qualify for the $0 deductible or copay for covered services from providers listed on Provider Search and preferred prescriptions by completing a Baseline Visit in the first 120 days of the plan’s effective date.
Curative members have access to virtual health services to stay well. For quick and easy care, use Curative Telehealth through the Member Portal. For mental health support, explore our mental health resources to find the right platform for you.
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Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 24). Heart disease facts & statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, July 25). Atrial fibrillation (AFib). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16765-atrial-fibrillation-afib
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, August 12). Heart palpitations and anxiety. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21677-heart-palpitations-and-anxiety
American Heart Association. (2024, January 4). More than half of U.S. adults don’t know heart disease is leading cause of death, despite 100-year reign. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-than-half-of-u-s-adults-dont-know-heart-disease-is-leading-cause-of-death-despite-100-year-reign
New York State Department of Health. (2024, March). Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/cardiovascular/heart_disease/
Heart.org. (2024, December 12). Warning signs of a heart attack. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack
Mayo Clinic. (2024, March 22). Angina: Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/angina/symptoms-causes/syc-20369373
Mayo Clinic. (2024, June 14). Coronary artery disease: Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350613
Mayo Clinic. (2024, August 13). Heart disease: Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353118
Newsroom.heart.org. (2024, January 24). More than half of U.S. adults don't know heart disease is leading cause of death despite 100-year reign. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-than-half-of-u-s-adults-dont-know-heart-disease-is-leading-cause-of-death-despite-100-year-reign
WebMD. (2023, May 15). Understanding heart disease symptoms. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/understanding-heart-disease-symptoms
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Table of Contents
How common is heart disease?
The first signs of heart disease
Take a preventive approach with heart health screening
Resources
