People are warned to stay alert for a heart disease symptom that could increase your risk of a heart attack by five times.

Heart disease, known for blocking the heart’s blood supply with fatty substances in the coronary arteries, is a leading cause of death. While chest discomfort is a known red flag, leg pain is a little-known symptom to watch out for.

David Newby, BHF John Wheatley Professor of Cardiology at the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh, described it as a “gripping” or “cramping” sensation in the legs.

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If you’re feeling this kind of pain, get to a doctor fast as it might signal peripheral arterial disease, an indicator of heart attacks and strokes, especially if you smoke or have diabetes, reports Surrey Live.

PAD narrows your arteries, making walking a pain and, in the worst cases, can lead to gangrene or even amputation.

Consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon Patrick Coughlin said the risk of developing PAD increases as people get older: “People are at an increased risk as they age. About one in five people over 60 in the UK have some degree of PAD.

“The same things that raise your risk of heart disease and stroke  including smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure  also raise your risk of PAD. In particular, we are seeing a rise in PAD as a result of increased cases of diabetes. It affects both men and women and sometimes it can run in families.”

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He also said people with PAD are much more prone to heart attacks: He said: “And importantly if someone has PAD then they are a lot more likely to have a heart attack. If you have intermittent claudication (limping or pain when you walk), your risk of heart attack is three to five times higher than normal.

“So we would start by trying to reduce your heart attack risk, for example by stopping smoking, testing for (and treating) high blood pressure and diabetes, and taking a blood thinner (such as aspirin) and a statin.”

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