People who experience subtle changes to their feet could be at risk of developing heart disease in the future, a pharmacist has revealed.
Noel Wicks has found that cold feet and fungal infections could be an early warning sign of the deadly disease.
Cardiovascular complications often affect the feet first, especially when fat is blocking the blood vessels that supply the heart.
Poor blood and oxygen flow in the body is associated with a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Toes are often the first to get clogged because the blood vessels within the toes are so tiny, prior studies have shown.
Noel Wicks said: “This can result in cold, numb painful, or swollen feet. What’s more, the compromised blood supply to the feet can also cause the toenails which can become brittle and thick.
“We need to keep an eye on our foot health, including our toenails, because it can impact on our overall health and be a sign of [serious] health issues.”
Roughly one in four adults with optimal health who are aged over 60 are living with undiagnosed heart disease, data has revealed.
According to health experts, peripheral artery disease (PAD) often causes complications further up the leg, such as a painful ache in the legs when walking.
Noel Wicks noted: “The pain can range from mild to severe and usually goes away after a few minutes when you rest your legs. Both legs are often affected at the same time, although the pain may be worse in one leg.”
He is urging people to keep an eye on athlete’s foot, fungal infections, dry skin, tingling, cracked skin, burning, pain and blisters or sores that don’t heal because they are all early symptoms of heart disease.
In addition, feet complications could be an indicator of type 2 diabetes, health specialists have warned.
People with type 2 diabetes are also more at risk of developing fungal foot infections, including athlete’s foot and toenail fungus.
