The main cause of death globally is still heart disease. Heart attacks may occur suddenly without any warning signs. However, in the film industry, intense chest pain would be portrayed for a heart attack. In actuality, many patients have slight symptoms that go unnoticed until the time of their heart attack days or even weeks prior to that.

Heart attacks do not always announce themselves with dramatic chest pain. Often, they manifest in subtle, easy-to-dismiss ways. Recognizing these overlooked warning signs and taking proactive steps toward cardiovascular health can save lives. If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms, seeking immediate medical care is crucial. Prioritizing heart health today can help prevent life-threatening complications in the future.

Warning Sings of A Heart Attack

1. Discomfort Pressure in the Chest

One of the earliest and most common warning signs of an impending heart attack is pressure, tightness, or fullness in the chest. This pain is not typically sharp and sudden, like most people associate with a heart attack, but it can be intermittent, coming in waves, and lasting for several minutes before fading away. According to the American Heart Association, this is one of the red flags when accompanied by exertion. If you have persistent chest pressure, you should call emergency services immediately.

2. Pain Radiating to Other Parts of the Body

The well-known symptom of chest pain can also manifest discomfort related to a heart attack as pain radiating to other parts of the body. It is not unusual for people experiencing this kind of heart attack to report feeling pain in the shoulders, arms, back, neck, and even jaw. The vagus nerve is one that connects the heart to the brain, abdomen, and neck. The pain may be referred to these regions. In case you experience a sudden, unexplained pain in these regions, especially when exercising, seek a doctor's opinion.

3. Dizziness and Lightheadedness

Feeling dizziness upon standing up quickly or missing a meal is common, but unexplained dizziness often with chest pain or shortness of breath is the first sign of heart attack. Sudden hypotension can seriously decrease the blood supply to the brain and cause dizziness. Dizziness that does not go away on its own should not be ignored.

4. Unexplained Fatigue

It often happens that excessive tiredness, particularly in a busy lifestyle, is considered trivial, but ongoing fatigue, mostly in women, is a predictor of heart failure. According to some studies, extreme fatigue often starts a month before a heart attack, primarily in women. This is simply because the heart cannot pump well enough, leaving insufficient oxygen available to muscles and organs. Consult a healthcare professional if you become increasingly tired over time, yet are getting all the rest in the world.

5. Nausea, Indigestion, or Stomach Pain

Digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, or indigestion are often mistaken for acid reflux or food poisoning. However, these symptoms can also indicate reduced blood flow to the digestive tract, a common precursor to heart attacks. If you experience gastrointestinal distress alongside other symptoms like dizziness or chest discomfort, it's important to seek medical advice immediately.

6. Cold Sweats and Excessive Perspiration

Without apparent reason, a heart attack might be signaled by sudden sweating without any exercise or hot weather conditions. The heart's inability to function properly creates the body's "fight or flight" reaction, which means excessive sweating will occur. Be aware of your body and never ignore a cold sweat, particularly if it coincides with other symptoms.

7. Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat

A racing or irregular heartbeat can be a normal reaction to stress or caffeine consumption. However, regular or unprovoked heart palpitations may indicate that the heart is under duress. If the heart is not getting enough oxygen-rich blood, it can start to beat irregularly. If you experience palpitations along with dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath, you should see a doctor right away.

8. Shortness of Breath

If suddenly climbing stairs or performing other everyday activities becomes a problem, then there may be a heart issue. Shortness of breath usually occurs with heart conditions because the circulation is not adequate and less oxygen is provided to the lungs. This symptom can occur either with or without chest pain and is an important indicator of the presence of underlying heart disease. If you find yourself experiencing sudden unexplained breathlessness, then seek a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Early detection of these symptoms and early intervention can help avoid a life-threatening heart attack. You should visit a doctor if you feel the following symptoms:

• Symptoms induced by exertion and relieved by rest
• The simultaneous onset of several warning signs, including weakness, dizziness, and nausea
• Personal or family history of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, or smoking

Preventing Heart Attacks: Proactive Steps for Heart Health

Although heart attacks may come out of nowhere, lifestyle plays an important role in reducing a patient's risk; here are some heart-healthy habits to consider:

Take on a Heart-Healthy Diet: Focus on consuming whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Try to limit processed foods, saturated fats, and added sugars.

Stay Active: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week to strengthen your heart and improve blood circulation.

Smoking. Smoking is probably the single largest risk factor for heart disease. If you are a smoker, quitting can easily be the single best thing you can do to improve your heart health.

Deal with Stress: Chronic stress leads to heart disease. Relaxed people through various relaxation techniques including yoga, meditation, and even deep breathing, have lesser stresses.

Regular health checks Monitor blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar on a regular basis. The risk factors' early detection can help avoid serious complications.

Your hormonal health plays a huge role in your health, and if you think it is something you need to worry about only when you get older. However, that is not true; you must pay attention to it even if you are in your 20s. Dr Holly Miller, an American Board–certified obstetrician and gynecologists, shared a video explaining why it is important for youngsters to regulate their hormonal health.

Your twenties are a critical time for building the foundation of your long-term health, impacting everything from your fertility and metabolism to your overall well-being. Hormone balance is about more than just your menstrual cycle, it profoundly influences your skin, mood, energy levels, and even your long-term risk for conditions like PCOS or endometriosis.

5 Ways To Maintain Your Hormonal Health

Here are five evidence-based strategies to actively support your hormone health

Prioritize Deep, Consistent Sleep

Sleep is the time when your body performs essential repair and resets your hormonal systems. When you consistently get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep, you stabilize cortisol, your main stress hormone.

High cortisol from lack of sleep throws off the production of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to irregular cycles and worsen PMS. Think of a good night's sleep as the number one way to calm your internal chemistry and support the natural rhythm your hormones need to thrive.

Balance Your Blood Sugar

Rapid spikes in blood sugar trigger a rush of the hormone insulin to bring the sugar down. Over time, these frequent spikes lead to insulin resistance, a major driver of hormonal imbalances like PCOS. The key is to slow down sugar absorption.

When you eat carbohydrates like bread or fruit, always pair them with protein like eggs or chicken and healthy fat like avocado or nuts. This simple habit keeps your insulin levels steady and prevents the hormonal chaos caused by rollercoaster blood sugar.

Minimize Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are hidden in many everyday products, from the lining of food cans (BPA) to synthetic fragrances and certain plastics. These chemicals are problematic because they can mimic or block your natural hormones, especially estrogen.

This interference can confuse your body, leading to heavy periods, unpredictable cycles, or fertility issues. Start simple: switch to using glass water bottles and food storage, choose fragrance-free products, and look for "paraben-free" labels on your skincare and makeup.

Engage in Regular Movement

Movement isn't just for weight loss, it is powerful hormonal medicine. Exercise, especially resistance training (lifting weights or using body weight), makes your cells much more responsive to insulin.

This means your body can process sugar more efficiently, which is vital for balancing all other hormones. Additionally, regular movement helps reduce body-wide inflammation, which is a primary cause of painful, uncomfortable period symptoms. Aim for a mix of strength training and light cardio throughout your week.

Fuel Up on Key Nutrients

Your hormones require specific building blocks and helpers to function optimally. Three critical nutrients are: Omega-3s, which are found in fatty fish/flaxseed, that reduce inflammation to ease cramps and mood swings.

Vitamin D, which acts more like a hormone itself and plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle; and Magnesium, known as "nature's relaxant," which helps reduce PMS-related anxiety, migraines, and cramps. Focus on incorporating these vital fats and minerals into your diet every day to directly support better hormonal health.

Diabetologists are getting calls from all day long, but not for the doubts and patients one would imagine. These calls are from those who have been trying to lose and even before they would try the lifestyle changes the doctor suggests, they would jump in with the question that doctors are not very fond of, "Doctor, can you start me on weight-loss drugs?"

The BBC reports that a Mumbai-based diabetologist Dr Rahul Baxi also experienced something similar. A 23-year-old corporate employee walked into his clinic and told him that one of his friends was on weight loss jabs and if he would too, since he was worried about the 10kg he had gained. “Stop, and the weight comes back. Keep going, and without exercise you’ll start losing muscle instead. These medicines aren't a substitute for a proper diet or lifestyle change.”

These conversations have now become common in India, where people's demand for weight loss jabs have skyrocketed. India has world's second-largest population of overweight adults. Furthermore, more than 77 million people live with Type 2 diabetes in the country. This is thus no surprise that if the drug has gained a quick traction.

Game-Changing Drugs

“These are the most powerful weight-loss drugs we’ve ever seen… nothing compares to these,” says Dr Anoop Misra to BBC, who heads Delhi’s Fortis-C-DOC Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Two drugs dominate the market:

• Semaglutide, sold by Novo Nordisk as Rybelsus (oral) and Wegovy (injectable)
• Tirzepatide, sold by Eli Lilly as Mounjaro

Both belong to the GLP-1 class, which mimics the hormone that regulates appetite. By slowing digestion and acting on the brain’s hunger centres, the drugs make people feel full sooner and stay full longer.

Treatment usually starts with low doses and ramps up to a weekly maintenance dose. Early weight loss often appears within weeks, making the drugs especially attractive to young urban users wanting quick results.

Weight Loss Drugs Do Not Come Without Side Effects

Doctors warn that most users regain weight within a year of stopping. Without strength training or adequate protein intake, they also risk losing muscle instead of fat, particularly worrying in a country already battling sarcopenic obesity due to low-protein diets.

Side effects range from nausea and diarrhea to more serious risks like gallstones, pancreatitis, and significant muscle loss. And the drugs aren’t cheap: a month’s supply can cost ₹14,000–₹27,000, out of reach for most Indians.

India’s anti-obesity drug market has ballooned from $16 million in 2021 to nearly $100 million today. Novo Nordisk leads the market, while Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide quickly became India’s second-bestselling drug within months of launch.

But behind the buzz lies troubling misuse.

Doctors describe gym trainers, dieticians and beauty clinics recommending high-dose jabs without medical authority. Some online pharmacies deliver the drugs after minimal consultation. One Delhi-based doctor told the BBC that some colleagues had treated thousands of patients with imported, unregulated jabs bought on the black market.

Then there are “bridal slimming packages” and requests for rapid pre-wedding weight loss—some as drastic as dropping seven kilos in three months.

A study has been released recently based on the analysis of the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data that says that for 15 per cent of all deaths in Delhi in 2023 were caused by air pollution. The analysis was based on the data which was released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) earlier this month. The data showed that around 17,188 deaths in the national capital were due to the long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. This is equivalent to 1 in 7 deaths in Delhi.

However, the Union Environment Ministry has said that there is "no conclusive evidence" that could directly link air pollution to mortality. The ministry said that it could be one of several contributing factors.

Toxic Air: A Public Health Emergency

Researchers at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which analyzed the GBD data said the findings in fact point that there is a need to treat air pollution as a public health emergency.

Dr Manoj Kumar, who is an analyst at CREA said, "Air pollution must now be treated foremost as a public health issue, not just an environmental one. India already has over 250 epidemiological studies establishing the link between polluted air and a wide range of health impacts. The science is clear: what's needed now is decisive, coordinated action," said Dr Manoj Kumar, an analyst at CREA, as reported by NDTV.

How Can Someone Die By Air Pollution?

Particulate matter or PM2.5 and PM10 impacts human far beyond their lungs. When you inhale polluted air, the pollutants can travel from your lungs. It reaches the alveoli and enters the bloodstream. Overtime and after a long time of exposure, these particles could accumulate in blood vessels and reduce oxygen flow to heart and brain. This could trigger strokes, heart attacks, and other chronic illnesses.

Rise In Deaths By Air Pollution

As per the GBD data, air pollution related deaths in Delhi rose from 15,786 in 2018 to 17,188 in 2023. This is after the authorities had introduced several air quality management related plans. The deaths have been linked to high blood pressure and diabetes during the same period, however, those numbers are lower than air pollution.

Dr Kumar has also noted that the assumption most people have that air pollution is just a winter-specific problem is not right. Pollution is a year-round crisis, he points out and the "harmful exposure happens throughout the year". Dr Kumar notes that it is during winter when the speed drops and pollutants settle close to ground, which is why it becomes more visible during the winter.

According to CREA’s latest PM2.5 assessment for October 2025, Delhi emerged as the sixth most polluted city in India, logging an average PM2.5 level of 107 µg/m³ — nearly three times its September average. Haryana’s Dharuhera topped the list as the most polluted, with levels reaching 123 µg/m³. It is interesting to note that stubble burning's contribution in Delhi air pollution in October 2025 was 6% less than in other years.