Little-known sign of killer heart disease in your feet – and 5 other red flags after Jeremy Clarkson’s shock operation

A LITTLE-known sign in your feet, as well as five other red flags, could be linked to killer heart disease.

While we tend to link the illness with symptoms such as a tight chest and pain around the heart, there are less obvious things to look out for too.

Jeremy Clarkson revealed last week he underwent heart surgery after struggling to walk up the stairs following a swim on holiday.

The presenter, 64, had one artery that was fully blocked and another that was nearly blocked, putting him at serious risk.

He sought emergency care after being left feeling “clammy” and had “pins and needles in my left arm”.

Heart disease can make itself known in a number of different ways and locations – including your feet.

If you notice swelling in your ankles and legs, it’s definitely worth getting seen by a doctor, according to the NHS.

That’s because this symptom could be a sign that you’re suffering from heart failure.

Called oedema, the swelling in your legs is called by a build-up of fluid. You might notice that it’s better in morning but gets worse during the day.

Heart failure means your heart isn’t working as well as it should and needs medicine to help it work better, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

When this happens, blood doesn’t get pumped to your kidneys properly, so these organs retain salt and water.

“This extra fluid in your body can cause swelling in your ankles, feet or legs and sometimes in your tummy area,” the charity warned.

Other signs that you might have heart disease are feeling unusually tired, discomfort in your jaw, neck, back, stomach or shoulders, feeling sick, swelling in your knees or abdomen and fainting.

Clarkson had tests at the hospital which ruled out a heart attack.

The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host said he was then taken to surgery for urgent treatment.

A stent was inserted into the blocked artery to keep it open and restore blood flow to the heart.

He said: “It wasn’t especially painful. Just odd,” and said he thought at the time, “Crikey, that was close.”

Since the age of 14, Clarkson has smoked everyday and for the last 30 years, “lived in a blizzard of hangovers and jet lag” – admitting he didn’t want to have a boring life.

The Sun columnist said: “I always knew this lifestyle wasn’t going to cause me to live to 112, and I didn’t really care.

“Because why deny yourself all that fun in your thirties and forties and even ­fifties just so you can have as long as possible with a grey face and a tube up your nose in an old people’s home?

“Here’s the thing, though. I’m now 64 and last week, when the Grim Reaper poked his nose round the door, I decided that actually, I quite fancied living a little bit longer.”

Clarkson has now been told he needs to change his lifestyle.

He continued: “The worst problem though is diet. To cut my alarmingly high levels of cholesterol, I need to cut out, completely, ­everything I like eating.

“Bacon, sausages, beef, lamb, pork, butter, chips, proper milk, Cadbury’s fruit and nut bars and the interesting bit in an egg.

“I’ve had a week now to live in the new regime and it’s horrific.

“Have you ever tried kale? Well, don’t, because it’s like eating the contents of a AAA battery.

“And then there’s Greek yoghurt. What’s that all about?

“Booze? Technically, this isn’t necessarily high in cholesterol, but it does make you fat so that has to go too. All of it.”

And once he’s recovered from his operation, Clarkson also needs to take on more exercise.

There are a few other symptoms that could indicate you’re suffering from heart disease, which might surprise you.

1. Feeling sick

All of us feel sick from time to time, and it’s definitely not always an indication that something’s wrong with your heart.

But you should be worried if you feel nauseous while also experiencing pain in your chest.

This is how David Newby, a professor of cardiology at the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh, put it:  “If you experience intense chest pain even when you are just sitting around doing nothing and you are also feeling sick, that is the time to call for an ambulance.”  

It’s also worth calling NHS 111 for advice if you’re feeling discomfort in your chest as well as feeling sick.

An indigestion-type pain or a burning sensation in your chest or stomach can be a sign of a heart attack or related heart problem, Dr Newby said.

2. Leg pain

We all get leg cramps from time to time.

But Dr Newby advised seeing a doctor if you get a “gripping, cramping sensation in your calves when you are walking”.

He said this might be a symptom of peripheral arterial disease, a common condition where a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries restricts blood supply to leg muscles.

3. Arm pain

Arm pain can be another unlikely symptom that something is wrong with your heart.

Heart attacks often cause pain to radiate down your left arm, but it could also affect both arms.

Have someone call 999 immediately if you suspect you’re having a heart attack.

4. Jaw and back pain

Jaw and back pain are other symptoms that could be caused by a heart attack, according to Dr Newby.

Get immediate help if the pain isn’t going away.