Men and women may experience different early warning signs, men are more likely to experience chest pain, for example. There is a greater likelihood that women will experience other symptoms in addition to chest discomfort, such as nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Early symptoms include chest tightness, chest pain, chest pressure, shortness of breath, pain or numbness in the legs and arms, and pain in the upper belly, back, throat, jaw, or neck. Coronary artery disease might not be diagnosed until you have a heart attack, angina, stroke, or heart failure. Keeping an eye out for heart symptoms and discussing concerns with your healthcare provider is important. Regular health checks can sometimes detect heart (cardiovascular) disease early.