Saturday, March 16, 2024

Is Congestive Heart Failure Genetic

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Can Congestive Heart Failure Be Prevented

Stages of Congestive Heart Failure – Stage B

Unfortunately, when cats are diagnosed with congestive heart failure many will succumb to their heart disease within one year of the initial diagnosis. However, if heart disease can be identified BEFORE congestive heart failure develops, your cat has the potential remain your faithful companion for several years if their heart disease responds well to treatment. As the only person who sees your cat daily, your close attention is paramount. Closely monitor your cat’s weight, as both an increase or a drop in weight can be related to heart disease in cats. Ensure that your cat receives a well-balanced diet, as nutrition plays a large part in feline heart disease as well. There are therapeutic cat foods available for cats with heart disease to slow the disease’s progression.

Annual exams and routine blood work are also recommended, as this allows your vet to watch for trends of creeping blood values before they are outside the normal ranges. If you have an at-risk purebred cat or a cat who you know has a history or heart disease in their family, an annual heart ultrasound to screen for early signs of heart disease should also be discussed with your veterinarian. There are also genetic tests for HCM available and your veterinarian can discuss whether or not these may be appropriate for your pet.

Figuring Out Whats Ahead

So, how do you get the full story on what might be in store for your heart health? It all starts with finding out what sort of heart problems and other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure your family members have dealt with.

While age, race, ethnicity, gender and other factors can generally affect your risk for heart disease, finding out what conditions tend to run in your family can help you get a better sense of your specific risk.

When you do this, you can come away knowing what to look for, and you can be more proactive about taking charge of your own health. That could mean talking to your doctor about prevention and special screenings, including blood tests for potential heart problems. Or it could mean taking a unique approach to managing heart disease symptoms, like using different medications or making lifestyle tweaks earlier than others.

Either way, the benefits of knowing your familys medical history are clear. But whats the easiest way to start looking into that history?

Inherited Heart Disease Treatment

If youre diagnosed with an inherited heart disease, well help you and your family understand all the treatments available. And if you need a surgical procedure, our specialists are experts in minimally invasive techniques to help you get back on your feet as quickly as possible.;

To manage an inherited heart disease, we may recommend one or more treatments. Your care plan will depend on your condition, but may include:

  • Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss or exercise to help prevent or minimize the effects of;heart disease
  • Healthy living, like avoiding smoking, alcohol, caffeine and high-fat foods to improve your health
  • Medication;to help regulate the way your heart works or minimize the chance of;blood clots;
  • Cardiovascular surgery to repair or replace damaged valves, vessels or other parts of your heart.

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Women And Heart Failure

Women are just as likely as men to develop heart failure, but there are some differences:

  • Women tend to develop heart failure later in life compared with men.
  • Women tend to have heart failure caused by high blood pressure and have a normal EF .
  • Women may have more shortness of breath than men do. There are no differences in treatment for men and women with heart failure.

Congestive Heart Failure: Prevention Treatment And Research

Is congestive heart failure genetic?

Congestive heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart doesnt pump blood as efficiently as it should. Despite its name,;heart failure;doesnt mean that the heart has literally failed or is about to stop working. Rather, it means that the heart muscle has become less able to contract over time or has a mechanical problem that limits its ability to fill with blood. As a result, it cant keep up with the bodys demand, and blood returns to the heart faster than it can be pumped outit becomes congested, or backed up. This pumping problem means that not enough oxygen-rich blood can get to the bodys other organs.

The body tries to compensate in different ways. The heart beats faster to take less time for refilling after it contractsbut over the long run, less blood circulates, and the extra effort can cause heart palpitations. The heart also enlarges a bit to make room for the blood. The lungs fill with fluid, causing shortness of breath. The kidneys, when they dont receive enough blood, begin to retain water and sodium, which can lead to kidney failure. With or without treatment, heart failure is often and typically progressive, meaning it gradually gets worse.

More than 5 million people in the United States have congestive heart failure. Its the most common diagnosis in hospitalized patients over age 65. One in nine deaths has heart failure as a contributing cause.

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So Ive Got History Concerns What Next

Just because your family has a history of cardiovascular disease, does not mean that you will certainly have the same diseases, it just means that you are more likely to have them. Disease is not imminent, and your health can be managed by making lifestyle changes like those included in Life’s Simple 7.

If you want to start living a healthier life, look no further than Lifes Simple 7. My Life Check was designed by the American Heart Association with the goal of improved health by educating the public on how best to live. These measures have one unique thing in common: any person can make these changes, the steps are not expensive to take and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference.

Start with one or two. This simple, seven step list has been developed to deliver on the hope we all have–to live a long, productive healthy life.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Inherited Heart Condition

Some people with an inherited heart condition have no symptoms, while other people develop symptoms such as:

  • dizzy spells;
  • blackouts
  • shortness of breath.

For many families, the first sign theres something wrong is when someone dies suddenly, with no obvious cause.; This is known as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome .

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Genetic Testing For Heart Disease

If you have signs of an inherited condition, well likely recommend genetic testing. Our genetic counselors will work with you every step of the way and ensure you understand your test results.

If we detect a gene mutation thats related to the disease, we may recommend your immediate family members get tested, too. This helps loved ones know if they might be at risk and get care as early as possible. We also may recommend yearly screenings to help prevent potential problems.

When A Family Member Is Diagnosed With An Inherited Heart Condition

“Clinical Presentation of Congenital Heart Disease: Congestive Heart Failure” by Michael Freed, MD

If youre a relative of someone who has been diagnosed with an inherited heart condition , its recommended that youre referred to a specialist centre.; Here youll be tested to see if you have the same faulty gene as your family member, which could lead to an IHC.;This type of genetic testing through families is called cascade testing.

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Can You Prevent Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure can be the ultimate result of a number of diseases, or lifestyle choices, that damage the heart. Some of these can be prevented. Others cannot be prevented but can be treated successfully.

Some examples of illnesses or lifestyle choices that can lead to congestive heart failure are as follows:

  • Coronary heart disease , including heart attack
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Infection
  • Damage to the heart valves
  • Alcoholism
  • Smoking

In some cases, a family history of heart failure can be present. Many cases are a combination of factors, and in other cases, the cause is unknown.

If a person has congestive heart failure, they are at increased risk of developing pneumonia. They probably should receive both the pneumonia vaccination and annual flu shots. Patients should ask their doctor or other health care professional to be sure.

Altered Genes Are Linked To Congestive Heart Failure

People who inherit common variants of two genes have 10 times the risk of developing congestive heart failure, a condition that afflicts five million Americans, researchers say.

Congestive heart failure is a leading cause of death in the nation, but the researchers say their findings may help doctors identify drugs that are most likely to help patients and to find people at high risk early enough to arrest the disease.

In a paper published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the University of Cincinnati proposed that the gene variants might predispose people to the disease.

The researchers looked at 159 patients with congestive heart failure, comparing them with 189 people who were similar in other respects, including race, but who did not have the disease. They discovered that their suspicions about the genes were correct.

Other experts said the results were among the first soundings of a new era in medicine in which doctors identify an individual’s genetic variations to help him avoid illness.

The findings suggest that patients with the gene alterations might be helped by drugs that can impede the altered genes’ effects, and they show how altered genes can amplify each other to cause disease.

One of the altered genes confers a fivefold increase in risk of heart failure. The other has no effect by itself but when combined with alterations in the first gene leads to a tenfold increase.

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Congestive Heart Failure Procedures And Interventions

Other treatment or procedures may be offered, depending on the underlying cause of the heart failure.

Angioplasty: This is an alternative to coronary bypass surgery for some people whose heart failure is caused by coronary artery disease and may be compounded by heart damage or a previous heart attack. Angioplasty is performed to treat narrowing or blockage of a coronary artery that supplies the left ventricle with blood. The narrowing or blockage is caused by cholesterol deposits.

  • Angioplasty begins with the cardiac catheterization procedure during which a long, thin tube called a catheter is inserted through the skin, into a blood vessel, and threaded into the affected artery. This procedure is performed while the person is under local anesthesia.
  • At the point of the atherosclerotic narrowing or blockage, a tiny balloon and/or an expandable metal stent, attached to the end of the catheter, is inflated and/or deployed.
  • The expanded stent pushes aside the cholesterol deposits that are blocking the artery so that blood can flow through in a more normal manner.

Pacemaker: This device controls the rate of the heartbeat. A pacemaker may keep the heart from going too slow, increasing heart rate when the heart is not increasing enough with activity. It also helps sustain regular rates when the heart is not beating in a coordinated way. Or, the pacemaker performs some combination of these.

How Is Chf Diagnosed

Common medication for heart failure patients does not ...

After reporting your symptoms to your doctor, they may refer you to a heart specialist, or cardiologist.

The cardiologist will perform a physical exam, which will involve listening to your heart with a stethoscope to detect abnormal heart rhythms.

To confirm an initial diagnosis, a cardiologist might order certain diagnostic tests to examine your hearts valves, blood vessels, and chambers.

There are a variety of tests used to diagnose heart conditions. Because these tests measure different things, your doctor may recommend a few to get a full picture of your current condition.

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Stages C And D With Preserved Ef

Treatment for patients with Stage C and Stage D heart failure and reserved EF includes:

  • Treatments listed in Stages A and B.
  • Medications for the treatment of medical conditions that can cause heart failure or make the condition worse, such as atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, high cholesterol and kidney disease.
  • Diuretic to reduce or relieve symptoms.

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR TREATMENT PLAN!

It is up to you to take steps to improve your heart health. Take your medications as instructed, follow a low-sodium diet, stay active or become physically active, take notice of sudden changes in your weight, live a healthy lifestyle, keep your follow-up appointments, and track your symptoms. Talk to your healthcare team about questions or concerns you have about your medications, lifestyle changes or any other part of your treatment plan.

Heart Failure: Advanced Development In Genetics And Epigenetics

Shen-jiang Hu

1Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 79, Qing-Chun Road, Hangzhou 310003, China

Abstract

Heart failure is a complex pathophysiological syndrome that arises from a primary defect in the ability of the heart to take in and/or eject sufficient blood. Genetic mutations associated with familial dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy can contribute to the various pathologies of HF. Therefore, genetic screening could be an approach for guiding individualized therapies and surveillance. In addition, epigenetic regulation occurs via key mechanisms, including ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA-based mechanisms. MicroRNA is also a hot spot in HF research. This review gives an overview of genetic mutations associated with cardiomyopathy and the roles of some epigenetic mechanisms in HF.

1. Background

2. Genetics

2.1. Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Gene
2.2. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The main HCM-related genes are shown in Table 2.

Gene
Myosin regulatory light chain 2 160781
2.3. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Gene
Gene
2.4. Future Development: Gene Screening

3. Epigenetics

3.1. Chromatin Remodeling
3.2. DNA Methylation
3.3. Histone Modification
3.4. MicroRNA-Based Mechanisms
3.5. Long-Noncoding-RNA-Based Mechanisms

4. Conclusion

Conflict of Interests

Acknowledgments

References

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Other Genetic Factors To Be Aware Of

Even if your family has a clean bill of health, you should be aware of other genetic factors that can increase your familys risk. For example, statistics show that African-Americans face higher risks for high blood pressure, diabetes;and stroke. Statistics also indicate that about 1 in 3 Hispanics will have high blood pressure, and nearly half will battle high blood cholesterol.

Congestive Heart Failure Life Expectancy

Congestive Heart Failure – What is CHF?

Your life expectancy after receiving a diagnosis of congestive heart failure will depend upon several factors. Among them:

  • The current stage of progression of your heart failure

  • The underlying causes of your heart failure

  • The degree to which other organs are involved with your heart failure

  • The way your body responds to treatment

  • Although a diagnosis of congestive heart failure will probably mean major life changes and treatment for the rest of your life, it is important to keep in mind that there are things you can do to stay healthier longer and maximize the quality of your life.

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    What Is Congestive Heart Failure In Dogs

    Congestive heart failure refers to the inability of the heart to pump blood adequately throughout the body. As a result, blood backs up into the lungs and fluid accumulates in the body cavities further constricting both the heart and lungs, and preventing sufficient oxygen flow throughout the body. In dogs, there are two main types of CHF:

    • Right-sided congestive heart failure . This occurs when a heart contraction causes some blood to leak into the right atrium from the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve rather than being pushed through the lungs and becoming oxygenated. As a result, the main circulation system becomes congested with backed up blood, and fluid accumulates in the abdomen, interfering with proper organ function. Excess fluid might also build up in the limbs and cause swelling known as peripheral edema.
    • Left-sided congestive heart failure . The most common type of CHF in dogs, this occurs when blood from the left ventricle leaks back into the left atrium through the mitral valve rather than getting pumped into the body’s systemic circulation when the heart contracts. It is a state of diminished cardiac function as a result causes volume or pressure overload to the left side of the heart. As a result, fluid leaks into the tissue of the lungs, causing swelling known as pulmonary edema, which leads to coughing and difficulty breathing.

    Understanding The Types Of Genetic Heart Disease

    There are many kinds of inherited heart diseases that can run in families. The most common include:

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    What Diet Plans Lifestyle Changes And Management Tips Help Treat Congestive Heart Failure Naturally

    Lifestyle changes recommended by your doctor or other health care professional can help relieve symptoms, slow the progression of heart failure, and improve one’s quality of life. Lifestyle changes that may be helpful in preventing or relieving heart failure include those recommended by the American Heart Association and other organizations as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

    • Once diagnosed and under the care of a qualified medical professional, patients can and should do several things at home to increase their comfort and reduce the chance of the condition getting worse.
    • In fact, the more active role patients take in managing heart failure, the more likely they are to do well.
    • Making the lifestyle changes described here will make a real difference. Not only will patients feel better, but they will increase their chances of a longer, healthier life.

    Treat swelling with the following measures:

    • Elevate the feet and legs if they are swollen.
    • Eat a reduced-salt diet.
    • Weigh in every morning before breakfast and record it in a diary that can be shown to a health care provider.

    Avoid the following:

    • Alcohol
    • Excessive emotional stress and/or depression
    • High altitude
    • Herbal or other complementary medicine without first consulting a doctor to see if they are safe

    Patients with congestive heart failure should know the following information that may apply to their disease:

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