10 Tips to Prevent Heart Failure

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Around 3% of the world’s population are living with heart failure, and it is more common in developed countries. It has been discovered through research that over 5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with heart failure. Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a clinical syndrome which occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient amount of blood to meet the metabolic requirement of the body. It can also result from structural cardiac abnormalities which impair the ability of the ventricle to fill or eject blood. The cardiac output would be reduced leading to different signs and symptoms such as dyspnea and cyanosis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Heart Failure

There are numerous etiologies of cardiac failure irrespective of the age and gender. The most common etiologies include:

  • Systemic hypertension: This is the most common cause of heart failure in two –thirds of heart failure patient. It causes systemic overload leading to reduced efficiency of the heart.
  • Underlying Disease: There are numerous underlying diseases such as amyloidosis, hematochromatosis, diabetes, and HIV that can predispose an individual to have cardiac issues.
  • Sedentary lifestyle: Scientist have proven that Individuals living a sedentary lifestyle combined with unhealthy diet are at higher risk of developing heart failure.
  • Obesity
  • Age
  • Congestive Heart Defect
  • Excessive Alcohol
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • Arrhythmia
  • Congestive Heart Failure

Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure

There are numerous signs and symptoms of heart failure depending on the severity of the disease. The most important signs and symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath (most especially at night)
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Swellings in the legs
  • Gaining of weight
  • Anorexia/ loss of appetite
  • wheezing
  • Poor Sleep: Heart failure patients often experience poor sleeping habits; there is a need for increase pillows at night which cause fluid accumulation in the lungs.
  • Lethargy and weakness

    Types of Heart Failure

    Heart failure can be classified into different forms and types depending on its severity. The most common types include:

  1. According to Ejection Fraction:
    • Heart failure with normal ejection fractions: When ejection fraction greater or equals 40. The coronary artery is the primary cause of this type of heart failure. Blood can get into the chambers of the heart (ventricles) but can’t get out.
    • Heart failure with preserved ventricular ejection fraction: ejection fraction is between 40-50% majorly diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms
  2. According to the output level
    • High output heart failure-This is seen in when cardiac output is higher than normal causing circulatory overload leading to pulmonary edema
    • Low output heart failure-systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure.
  3. Left and right ventricular failure
  4. Forward heart failure: This results from the inadequate discharge of blood into arterial system leading to inadequate tissue perfusion and excess NA+ reabsorption through renal angiotensin aldosterone system.
  5. Backward heart failure: This result from failure of one or both ventricles to fill normally discharging its contents causing a backward pressure on the venous system and the atrial system.

 Complications of Heart Failure

When heart failure is left untreated for a prolonged period, it can lead to different complications such as:

  1. Gastrointestinal: Heart failure can lead to various gastrointestinal complications such as Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.
  2. Neurological: Most heart failure patients complain of different neurological complications such as a Continuous headache, tiredness, lack of sleep, and vertigo.
  3. Visual: |there is an impaired vision in heart failure patients, some poor experience color of vision (green or yellow).
  4. Cardiological: The intrinsic conductivity of the heart can be affected leading to various forms of arrhythmia in heart failure patients.
  5. Hypotension

Differential Diagnosis of Heart Failure

  • Acute and chronic kidney failure
  • Thyroid diseases
  • Liver disease such as hepatitis, Fatty liver disease, cirrhosis

Classification Of Heart Failure

The New York heart association (NYHA) is the most typical classification used for clinical classification of heart failure. It places patients in one of the four categories based on limitations of physical activities.

  • CLASS I: Physical activities are not limited, an overt symptom is absent.
  • CLASS II: Physical activities are slightly limited, comfort at rest but physical activities(ordinary) causes heart failure.
  • CLASS III: Marked limitation on physical activities with ordinary activity causing heart failure
  • CLASS IV: Inability to perform any physical activity without experiencing any symptoms. Symptoms are present at rest.


    Stages of Heart Failure

  • Stage A: No overt symptoms
  • Stage B-: No overt symptoms but structural heart disease is present
  • Stage C: Both Overt symptoms and structural heart disease is present
  • Stage D: At this stage, Specialized intervention is needed, it is called a refractory heart failure which includes symptoms such as progressive deteriorations of renal functions, frequent systolic blood pressure <90mmhg, persistent dyspnea, gradual decline in serum sodium >160mg/dl, unexplainable  weight loss, and  repeated hospitalization for heart failure in the past years.

    Diagnostic Procedures for Heart Failure

According to the European Association of cardiologist and American cardiologist association. The primary diagnostic methods for heart failure include:

  • Complete blood count: It reveals infection or anemia which can contribute to heart failure.
  • Urinalysis: It helps us in identifying proteinuria which is associated with cardiovascular
    Serum electrolyte analysis: It is used in detecting electrolyte dysbalance, fluid retention or renal dysfunctions
    Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine level: it may show decrease renal blood flow.
    Fasting blood glucose: fasting blood glucose is often elevated in heart failure and a marker for diagnosing the disease.
  • B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) and N terminal pro-B type (NT-pro BNP) natriuretic peptide level which is increased in heart failures
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Lipid profile and thyroid stimulating hormone level
  • Chest radiography
  • Two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler flow ultrasonography
  • Coronary arteriography: it reveals disease of the coronary artery
    Exercise testing with or without respiratory blood saturation and gas exchange.

    Treatment Of Heart Failure

Heart failure can be treated with lifestyle modification, medications or surgery. The most common forms of treatment include:

  • Lifestyle modification:This includes smoking cessation, weight monitoring, checking the ankles, legs, and feet for edema daily, eating a healthy diet, sodium restriction in food, maintenance of healthy weight, appropriate vaccination, healthy diet, limitation or stoppage of alcohol, reduction of stress, active lifestyle, and adequate sleep.

Pharmacological Treatment: Different medications are used in treating heart failure depending on the symptoms presented by the patients. The most common drugs prescribed to the patients include: Angiotensin-converting enzymes inhibitor (help in systolic heart failure), Angiotensin- receptor blocker, diuretics, aldosterone- antagonist (people with systolic heart failure can live longer with this medication), inotropes (used in severe heart failure), and digoxin.

  • Surgery and medical devices.

10 Tips to Prevent Heart Failure

There are numerous tips to prevent this deadly disease, the most vital ones includes:

  1. Smoking cessation
  2. Proper diet
  3. Active lifestyle
  4. Reduced salt intake
  5. Reduce Alcohol intake
  6. Maintain a healthy weight by doing physical exercise for a minimum of 150 minutes weekly
  7. Seek counsel from a professional
  8. Treat underlying disease such as diabetes
  9. Reduce stress with yoga and meditation
  10. Avoid trans-fats and excessive sugar

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References

10 Tips to Prevent Heart Disease And Stroke | Sarver Heart Center. (2018). Heart.arizona.edu. Retrieved 8 April 2018, from http://heart.arizona.edu/heart-health/prevent-heart-attacks/10-tips

Heart failure – Symptoms and causes. (2018). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 8 April 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373142

Heart Failure: 10 Prevention Tips – HealthXchange. (2018). Healthxchange.sg. Retrieved 8 April 2018, from https://www.healthxchange.sg/heart-lungs/heart-failure/heart-failure-tips-prevent

 

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