The vast majority of people cannot identify the common symptoms of heart failure, a poll suggests.

And many may be dismissing the symptoms as a “normal sign of ageing”, the survey found.

The symptoms of heart failure can vary from person to person but the main signs are breathlessness, extreme tiredness, and ankle swelling.

These symptoms can be caused by conditions other than heart failure, but patient group, The Pumping Marvellous Foundation, said it is important for people to be aware of the symptoms.

The comments come after a poll, sponsored by pharmaceutical company Novartis, found that only five per cent of Britons could identify three common symptoms of heart failure.

The survey of 1,000 people from the UK aged 50 and over also found that 85 per cent thought the symptoms were a normal sign of ageing.

“The lack of understanding of heart failure by the British public is worrying, especially as it is a condition which affects so many people,” said Nick Hartshorne Evans, founder of The Pumping Marvellous Foundation.

“The numbers are increasing due to factors which include more people surviving heart attacks, undetected prolonged hypertension, late presentation of cardiac conditions as well as poor lifestyle choices and an ageing population.

“However, with early identification and access to heart failure services, the outcomes for people living with heart failure will improve.”

Heart failure is a serious condition caused by the heart failing to pump enough blood around the body at the right pressure.