India, Oct. 13 -- How can families spot changes in heart health early? A daughter notices that her father no longer walks to buy milk. A spouse sees him pause halfway up the stairs. A son living elsewhere hears the same answer during every call: "Tired today." Each detail seems ordinary. Together, they reveal a life that has quietly become smaller.

Four valves guide blood through the heart. Trouble begins when one narrows or fails to close properly, making the heart work harder. Aortic stenosis, seen more often in later life, affects the valve at the heart's main exit. "Its warning signs can resemble ageing. Breathlessness gets blamed on the weather" Dr Shafiq Mattummal, Chair, Senior Consultant in Cardiology, Calicut tells Health Shots....