Heart Failure
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle cannot pump blood efficiently to meet the body’s needs. This leads to blood pooling in other areas of the body, typically the lungs, legs, and feet. In this article, we’ll cover all the details about this condition.
Causes of Heart Failure
Here are some conditions that may lead to heart failure over time:
- Coronary artery disease: Fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up inside the arteries supplying blood to the heart, causing narrowing or blockages. This can lead to chest pain (angina) or heart attacks.
- High blood pressure (hypertension): Forces the heart to work harder to pump blood.
- Cardiomyopathies: Diseases that directly affect the heart muscle.
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias): Such as atrial fibrillation.
- Congenital heart defects: Affecting heart structure and function.
- Heart valve problems.
- Smoking.
- Obesity.
- Diabetes.
- Certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs.
- Kidney disease.
Heart Failure Symptoms
Here are some symptoms associated with heart failure:
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Weight gain.
- Heart palpitations.
- Swelling in the legs, ankles, and abdomen.
- Frequent nighttime urination.
- Dry cough.
- Abdominal bloating.
- Fatigue during physical activity.
- Nausea or loss of appetite.
Stages of Heart Failure
Heart failure is classified into stages based on severity:
- Stage 1: Risk factors for heart failure are present (e.g., high blood pressure or coronary artery disease), but there are no symptoms.
- Stage 2: Known heart disease without symptoms of heart failure.
- Stage 3: Heart disease with noticeable symptoms.
- Stage 4: Advanced heart failure with severe, persistent symptoms despite treatments.
Diagnosis of Heart Failure
Doctors may use the following tests to diagnose heart failure:
- Blood tests: To detect changes that indicate heart failure or other conditions.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): Measures the heart’s electrical activity.
- Echocardiogram: Uses ultrasound to evaluate heart size, function, valves, and blood flow.
- Ejection fraction (EF): Assesses the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart during each contraction. An EF of 50% or higher is ideal, but heart failure can occur even with normal EF.
- Cardiac MRI: Provides detailed images of the heart.
Heart Failure Treatment
Treatment aims to address the underlying cause and manage symptoms, including:
Lifestyle Changes:
- Eating a low-fat, low-salt diet.
- Regular exercise.
- Quitting smoking.
Medications:
- ACE inhibitors: Relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce heart strain.
- Beta-blockers: Lower heart rate and blood pressure, improving heart function.
- Diuretics: Help eliminate excess fluid.
- Potassium-sparing diuretics: Prolong life in severe heart failure with reduced EF.
- SGLT2 inhibitors: Originally for type 2 diabetes, these reduce hospitalization and mortality in some heart failure cases.
Medical Procedures and Surgery:
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): Uses healthy vessels to bypass blocked arteries.
- Valve repair or replacement.
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD): Monitors and corrects dangerous heart rhythms.
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT): Coordinates lower heart chambers’ contractions for better blood flow.
- Ventricular assist devices (VADs): Helps pump blood for severe cases awaiting transplant or unsuitable for surgery.
- Heart transplant: For severe cases unresponsive to other treatments.
In Conclusion,Heart failure is a serious condition affecting heart function. Regular check-ups are essential, especially if you have risk factors for this disease. Early detection and proper management can improve outcomes.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17069-heart-failure-understanding-heart-failure
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-failure/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373142