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Additional Information
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What
is Heart Failure?
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t
pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does
not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop
working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood
the way that it should. The heart can’t fill with enough
blood or pump with enough force, or both.
Heart failure develops over time as the pumping action of
the heart grows weaker. It can affect the left side, the
right side, or both sides of the heart. Most cases involve
the left side where the heart can’t pump enough oxygen-rich
blood to the rest of the body. With right-sided failure,
the heart can’t effectively pump blood to the lungs
where the blood picks up oxygen.
The weakening of the heart’s pumping ability causes:
- Blood and fluid to "back up" into the lungs
- The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles, and legs
- Tiredness and shortness of breath
Heart failure is a serious condition. About 5 million people
in the United States have heart failure, and the number is
growing. Each year, another 550,000 people are diagnosed
for the first time. It contributes to or causes about 300,000
deaths each year.
Other Names for Heart Failure
- Congestive heart failure or CHF (when the poor pumping
function results in symptoms)
- Left-sided heart failure
- Right-sided heart failure
- Systolic heart failure
- Diastolic heart failure
What Causes Heart Failure?
Heart failure is caused by other diseases or conditions
that damage or overwork the heart muscle. Over time, the
heart muscle weakens and is not able to pump blood as well
as it should.
The leading causes of heart failure are:
- Coronary
artery disease (CAD)
- High
blood pressure
- Diabetes
CAD, including angina (AN-ji-na
or an-JI-na) and heart
attack is the most common underlying cause of heart failure.
People who have a heart attack are at high risk of developing
heart failure.
Most people with heart failure also have high blood pressure,
and about one in three has diabetes.
Other Causes of Heart Failure
Other heart diseases and conditions that can lead to heart
failure are:
- Cardiomyopathy (a
disease of the heart muscle)
- Diseases of the heart valves
- Abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias (a-RITH-me-as)
- Congenital
heart defects (a heart defect or problem you are
born with)
Other conditions that may injure the heart muscle and lead
to heart failure include:
- Treatments for cancer, such as radiation and certain
chemotherapy drugs
- Thyroid disorders (having either too much or too little
thyroid hormone in the body)
- Alcohol abuse
- HIV/AIDS
- Cocaine and other illegal drug use
Who Is At Risk for Heart Failure?
Heart failure can happen to anyone, but it’s more
common in:
- People 65 years of age and older
- African Americans
Heart failure is very common in people 65 years of age and
older. It’s the #1 reason for a hospital visit in this
age group.
African Americans are more likely to have heart failure
and suffer more severely from it. African Americans are more
likely to:
- Develop symptoms at an earlier age
- Have their heart failure get worse faster
- Have more hospital visits
- Die from heart failure
Men have a higher rate of heart failure than women. But
in actual numbers, more women have heart failure because
many more women live into their seventies and eighties, when
heart failure is common.
Children with congenital
heart defects can also have heart failure. Congenital
heart defects happen when the heart, heart valves, and/or
blood vessels near the heart do not develop correctly in
babies when they are in the womb. This can weaken the heart
muscle and lead to heart failure. Children do not have
the same symptoms or get the same treatment for heart failure
as adults. Children’s heart failure will not be discussed
here.
How Is Heart Failure Treated?
The goals of treatment are to:
- Treat the underlying cause of your heart failure
- Improve your symptoms and quality of life
- Stop your heart failure from getting worse
- Prolong your life span
Your doctor will continue to treat the underlying diseases
or conditions (such as coronary
artery disease, high
blood pressure, or diabetes)
that caused heart failure. The treatment for heart failure
includes:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medicines
- Specialized care for those in the most advanced stage
of heart failure
Lifestyle Changes
There are things that you can do to help with your treatment.
Your doctor will recommend that you:
- Follow a diet low in salt. Salt can cause extra fluid
to build up in your body, making your heart failure worse.
- Limit the amount of fluids that you drink.
- Weigh yourself every day, and let your doctor know right
away if you have a sudden weight gain. This could mean
you have extra fluid building up in your body.
- Exercise as directed to help build your fitness level
and ability to be more active.
Your doctor will also tell you to:
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Quit smoking if you smoke.
- Limit the amount of alcohol that you drink.
Medicines
Your doctor will prescribe medicines to help improve your
heart function and symptoms. The main medicines are:
- Diuretics (water
or fluid pills) to help reduce fluid buildup in your lungs
and swelling in your feet and ankles.
- ACE
inhibitors to lower blood pressure and reduce the
strain on your heart. These medicines also may reduce
the risk of a future heart attack.
- Beta
blockers to slow your heart rate and lower your blood
pressure to decrease the workload on your heart.
- Digoxin to
make the heart beat stronger and pump more blood.
Specialized Care for Severe Heart Failure
As heart failure progresses, lifestyle changes and regular
medicines may not be enough to control worsening symptoms.
Many people with severe heart failure must be treated in
the hospital from time to time. In the hospital, your doctor
may prescribe new or special medicines. You will continue
to take your regular medicines during this treatment.
Your doctor will also order extra oxygen if you continue
to have trouble breathing. The extra oxygen can be given
in the hospital and at home.
Persons with very severe heart failure may be considered
for a:
- Mechanical heart pump
- Heart transplant
A mechanical heart pump is a special device placed inside
the body to help pump blood to the rest of the body. There
are different kinds of mechanical heart pumps. Some stay
in the body for a short period of time, while others can
stay in the body for a long time. Many people with a mechanical
heart pump will also be considered for a heart transplant.
A heart transplant is surgery to replace a heart failure
patient’s heart with a healthy heart from someone who
has recently died. A transplant is indicated in some people
when all other treatments fail to control symptoms.
How Can Heart Failure Be Prevented?
The major underlying causes of heart failure are coronary
artery disease (including angina and heart
attack), high
blood pressure, and diabetes.
The What Causes Heart Failure section
lists the most common causes. Getting treatment and staying
in treatment for any underlying condition that you have
can greatly reduce your risk.
Other things you can do to reduce your risk include:
- Eating a heart healthy diet low in salt, saturated fat,
and cholesterol. The prevention section of the Web site
on “Your
Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure” provides
information and links on heart healthy eating.
- Quitting smoking if you smoke.
- Losing weight if you are overweight.
To read the rest of this article, and related materials
from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute please
click here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hf/HF_WhatIs.html
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