An expert in preventive cardiology, Dr. Kaustubh Dabhadkar from Charlotte, North Carolina, has emphasized the importance of recognizing atypical symptoms of heart issues. He explained to Newsweek that patients frequently inquire about symptoms to monitor. While standard textbook symptoms like chest pressure that radiates to the arm or jaw are easy to observe, atypical symptoms can be elusive and challenging to diagnose.
A 2025 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that over 99 percent of individuals who developed coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke had at least one prior risk factor. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, or smoking habits.
Dabhadkar shared a cardiology “rule” with fellow physicians, recounting an experience from his time as a cardiology fellow. He recalled being called to examine a patient with “earache” at 2 AM. Initially dismissive, he checked the patient’s EKG and discovered a heart attack. The electrocardiogram showed a major artery shutting down, causing the man’s ear lobe pain. After treatment, the pain resolved, illustrating how heart issues can present atypically.
Unusual heart attack symptoms can include unexplained cold sweats or symptoms that improve with rest. As symptoms vary by age, Dabhadkar noted that about a third of heart attack patients experience no chest pain, especially those over 85. Atypical symptoms might involve pain in the jaw, teeth, throat, upper back, or breathlessness without pain.
Dabhadkar urged awareness of unexplained symptoms that arise with effort and dissipate with rest. He expressed concern over symptoms spreading rather than remaining localized and identified cold sweats, nausea, or a sense of foreboding as indicators requiring an EKG. While “ear lobes” shouldn’t join a heart attack checklist, he prefers investigating a hundred false alarms to missing a true heart attack.