Is Heart Failure Curable

Whats The Outlook For People With Right

For many people, the right combination of therapies and lifestyle changes can slow or stop the disease and improve symptoms. They can lead full, active lives.

About 1 in 10 American adults who live with heart failure have advanced heart failure. That means treatments arent working, and symptoms are getting worse. You may feel symptoms, such as shortness of breath, even when youre sitting. If you have advanced heart failure, talk with your care team about important care decisions and next steps.

Heart Damage Can Be Reversed

An echocardiogram is a noninvasive ultrasound study that allows a physician to assess heart function, the size of the heart, and the condition of the heart valves. Depending on the findings, there may be further tests, such as a heart catheterization or coronary angiogram to look at the blood vessels supplying the heart. Once a diagnosis is made, your physician will be able to assess the cause of the condition and start treatment.

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important. There have been dramatic strides over the last three decades in the treatment of congestive heart failure. It was once thought that heart damage could not be reversed. We now know that this is not true.

Stage 1 Of Congestive Heart Failure

If youve been diagnosed with stage one of congestive heart failure, it is because a doctor has noticed a weakness in your heart. This news may be surprising, as stage one of CHF does not exhibit any symptoms. Although CHF cannot be cured, you can make healthy lifestyle changes and take certain medication to manage this condition.

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What Are The Stages Of Heart Failure

Heart failure is a chronic long-term condition that gets worse with time. There are four stages of heart failure . The stages range from high risk of developing heart failure to advanced heart failure, and provide treatment plans. Ask your healthcare provider what stage of heart failure you are in. These stages are different from the New York Heart Association clinical classifications of heart failure that reflect the severity of symptoms or functional limits due to heart failure.

As the condition gets worse, your heart muscle pumps less blood to your organs, and you move toward the next stage of heart failure. You cannot go backwards through the stages. For example, if you are in Stage B, you cannot be in Stage A again. The goal of treatment is to keep you from progressing through the stages or to slow down the progression.

Treatment at each stage of heart failure may involve changes to medications, lifestyle behaviors and cardiac devices. You can compare your treatment plan with those listed for each stage of heart failure. The treatments listed are based on current treatment guidelines. The table outlines a basic plan of care that may apply to you. If you have any questions about any part of your treatment plan, ask a member of your healthcare team.

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How Do I Take Care Of Myself If I Have Right

The most important thing is to make healthy lifestyle habits part of your daily routine. The more you make healthy living part of your new lifestyle, the better youll feel. Try to:

• Work with a nutritionist or dietitian to create a nutritious, filling meal plan you can stick with long-term.
• Find an exercise routine you enjoy so youll be motivated to get moving every day.
• Track and manage your symptoms. Report any changes to your healthcare provider.
• Take medications as instructed.

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Do Dogs Have Heart Attacks

Although it is very rare, the unexpected and sudden death of dogs from heart disease is possible. Some of the main risk factors that increase a dogs chances of having a heart attack include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and serious bacterial infections.

If you believe your dog is having a heart attack take them to the nearest emergency care facility as soon as possible. There is a version of CPR that can be performed on dogs, however, it requires special training to do it properly. If done incorrectly, CPR can result in further injuries to your dog and delay getting proper medical attention from a veterinarian.

Providence Cardiology Specialist Scott Werden Says Treatment Options Include Medication And Lifestyle Changes

Like so many diagnoses, the words pack an emotional wallop: Congestive heart failure.

While the phrase may sound like a death sentence, the good news is that many people whose hearts are considered to be failing can make a virtually complete recovery.

The phrase congestive heart failure is not a pronouncement of imminent death, but a clinical term to describe poor functioning of the mechanics of the heart. As the American College of Cardiology puts it, it is a problem with how your heart pumps.

It is a scary term, agrees Scott Werden, D.O., a cardiology specialist who practices in Olympia and Shelton, Washington, with Providence Medical Group Cardiology Associates. But, he says, You can have an absolutely complete recovery from heart failure.

Dr. Werden says full recovery depends on a variety of things, such as how well a patient responds to medication. A minority of people with congestive heart failure require surgery, and some will never enjoy the high quality of life they did before their hearts failed. But many others will return to very nearly normal life and levels of activity, he says.

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Treatment For Congestive Heart Failure In Dogs

Treatment depends on the underlying heart disease, along with the severity. There is usually no cure for CHF, but there are effective treatments to ensure a good quality of life. If the cause of CHF is a congenital abnormality like a PDA, surgical correction may help to reverse heart failure if performed in a timely fashion. The goal when treating CHF is to reduce fluid buildup and maximize the amount of blood being pumped to the lungs and the rest of the body.

Here are some of the medications, supplements, and diets that may be recommended:

• ACE inhibitors : Help reduce blood volume and pressure, relieve stress on the heart, and slow the deterioration of the heart muscles.

• Diuretics: Help stimulate the kidneys to remove excess fluid buildup in the lungs and abdomen.

• Vasodilators and positive inotropic drugs: Vasodilators help relax blood vessels and decrease pressure on the heart, allowing it to pump blood more easily. Positive inotropes increase the force with which the heart muscle beats, allowing the heart to pump more blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.

• Nutrition: Limiting the amount of sodium in your dogs diet can decrease fluid buildup in the body. Supplements like vitamin B, taurine, and carnitine, along with antioxidants like coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E, can also help. Finally, a diet that allows your dog to maintain a healthy weight is very important for heart health.

Other Causes Of Heart Failure

Pulmonary hypertension and heart failure

Heart failure can be caused by pulmonary hypertension . This condition can damage the right side of your heart, leading to heart failure. In some cases, the pulmonary hypertension itself is caused by an existing heart condition.

• Find out more about pulmonary hypertension on NHS Choices and PHA UK.

Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis happens when abnormal proteins, called amyloid, build up in organs and tissues. This affects how your organs work. If amyloidosis affects the heart it’s called cardiac amyloidosis or stiff heart syndrome and can lead to heart failure.

• Read more about amyloidosis treatment.

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Managing Congestive Heart Failure: How To Live Longer And Better With Congestive Heart Failure

The term heart failure is something of a misnomer. It makes it sound like the heart has stopped working, but that isnt really the case. What congestive heart failure means is that the heart isnt pumping efficiently enough to keep up with the bodys needs. Heart inefficiency might be a better term. With the proper treatment and lifestyle changes, many people with congestive heart failure can lead active lives for many years.

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Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure

The symptoms of congestive heart failure are also associated with other diseases and ailments.

In the early stages of congestive heart failure, there is a possibility that you might not feel any changes or symptoms. But as the disease progresses, symptoms appear.

Following symptoms would indicate a person has congestive heart failure:

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Treatment Of Enlarged Heart

Treatment depends on the underlying cause but options can include:

• medications to stop the heart from enlarging any further
• addressing the underlying problem
• regular cardiovascular exercise
• dietary adjustments to reduce blood cholesterol levels
• frequent medical check-ups to make sure the treatments are working.

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• Destination therapy

Bridge to transplantation

Each year, more people with end-stage heart failure are evaluated and listed for transplantation. Unfortunately, there are not enough suitable donor organs for all of the patients waiting for a heart transplant.

People who are listed for heart transplantation and are too ill to wait any longer, or are expected to have prolonged wait times, are referred for a VAD as a bridge to transplantation. The VAD allows them to recover and wait at home for an organ to become available.

Bridge to recovery

In some cases of heart failure particularly newly diagnosed CHF or heart failure after other cardiac surgery the heart may recover after a period of support on a VAD. These patients are supported temporarily as a bridge to recovery.

After implantation, the VAD is turned down and the heart is reassessed to see if its function has improved enough to allow the VAD to be removed.

Typically, people recommended for VAD as a bridge to recovery have CHF as a result of:

• Viral infection

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B History Part : Prevalence:

In the United States, there are approximately 1 million admissions for heart failure and 3 million admissions where heart failure is a secondary diagnosis. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients over 65 years of age.

In Europe, heart failure is the cause of 5% of acute hospital admissions, is present in 10% of patients in hospital beds, and accounts for 2% of the national expenditure on health, mostly due to the cost of hospital admissions.

Patients with a substrate of cardiovascular disease are most at risk for developing AHF, including those with decreased systolic function , diastolic dysfunction , other forms of cardiac disease , and patients with abnormal vasculature .

Common precipitants of decompensation include one or multiple factors, such as medication noncompliance, dietary indiscretion with salt and/or fluid intake, myocardial ischemia, hypertensive episode, and arrhythmias . The advent and widespread use of troponin assays has revealed that many patients who present with AHF have evidence of myocardial necrosis, suggesting that this event represents a medical condition with ongoing end organ damage, deserving of emergent treatment.

What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure can be a medical emergency, especially if it acutely decompensates and the patient can present extremely ill with the inability to breathe adequately. In this situation, the ABCs of resuscitation need to be addressed while at the same time, the diagnosis of congestive heart failure is made.

Common tests that are done to help with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure include the following:

• Electrocardiogram to help assess heart rate, rhythm, and indirectly, the size of the ventricles and blood flow to the heart muscle.
• Blood tests may include a complete blood count , electrolytes, glucose, BUN, and creatinine .
• B-type natriuretic peptide may be helpful in deciding if a patient has shortness of breath from congestive heart failure or from a different cause. It is a chemical that is located in the heart ventricles and may be released when these muscles are overloaded.
• Echocardiography or ultrasound testing of the heart is often recommended to assess the anatomy and the function of the heart. In addition to being able to evaluate the heart valves and muscle, the test can look at blood flow within the heart, watch the chambers of the heart contract, and measure the ejection fraction .

Other tests may be considered to evaluate and monitor a patient with suspected congestive heart failure, depending upon the clinical situation.

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C History Part : Competing Diagnoses That Can Mimic Acute Heart Failure

Since acute heart failure is manifest by many nonspecific symptoms, there are multiple competing diagnoses, including:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation

• Pulsus alternans

• Impaired end organ function, such as decreased urine output

There are no physical exam findings that individually establish a definitive diagnosis of AHF, but relevant findings may be considered in two main categories. First, there are findings that suggest the presence of underlying cardiac dysfunction that provides the substrate for the AHF episode.

These findings include evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction , diastolic dysfunction , or both.

Second, physical exam signs can support the diagnosis of AHF by suggesting the predominant pathophysiologic process involved in the decompensation, such as volume overload , vascular redistribution , or low cardiac output .

Note that patients with chronic heart failure may have markedly elevated pulmonary venous pressure causing significant dyspnea with relatively mild rales. Patients with AHF due to vascular redistribution frequently have rapid onset of symptoms that can occur in the absence of signs of marked volume overload.

Living Longer And Better

There are many diseases that can masquerade as congestive heart failure. All that swells is not heart failure. In addition to conventional forms of heart failure, there also are similar conditions caused by a stiff heart muscle and secondary heart problems caused by chronic lung conditions. Most of these can be treated.

We now know how important it is to get early diagnosis and treatment for CHF. Patients can now have a brighter outlook on congestive heart failure that wasnt there in decades past. This makes it possible to not only live longer but live better. A fulfilling, symptom-free life is achievable.

COVID-19 showed us that protecting your heart is more important than ever. Be sure to stay on top of treatments, medications, and routine care to keep yourself in the best condition possible to help fight off germs and illnesses.

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Key Points About Heart Failure In Children

• Heart failure means your child’s heart isn’t able to pump as well as it should.

• The most common cause of heart failure in children is a congenital heart defect.

• Common symptoms in children include trouble breathing, tiredness, and poor growth.

• Treatment may include fixing a defect, taking medicines, or using a device.

Symptoms That Occur First

• Small appearance
• Puffiness around the eyes

However, theres a slight problem when a child is suffering from congestive heart failure. The symptoms mentioned above can very likely be mistaken for a repertory infection or colic. This makes it difficult to diagnose congestive heart failure in children and infants when compared to adults.

If you have any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately.

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Recovery And Management Of Congestive Heart Failure In Dogs

Its possible for a dog with CHF to live a happy life. But proper diet, monitored exercise, medications, and good overall care are necessary. Regular check-ups are important for monitoring a dogs condition and assessing the effectiveness of treatments. Any change in health should be addressed immediately.

What Are The Treatments For Heart Failure

There isn’t a cure for heart failure but the treatments available can control symptoms leading many people to live full and active lives. Your doctor will usually tell you what stage of heart failure you’re in. This is graded in class from 1 to 4. 1 is the less severe and 4 is the most. Knowing this will help your doctors choose the best treatment for your condition.

Treatments for heart failure can include:

• medication – to improve your symptoms and reduce fluid build up
• a pacemaker or ICD – to help your heart pump blood around your body
• coronary bypass surgery – if you have blocked arteries.

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B What’s The Evidence For Specific Management And Treatment Recommendations

There are three main guidelines that address the treatment of patients with acute heart failure:

Lindenfeld, J, Albert, NM, Boehmer, JP. âHFSA 2010 comprehensive heart failure practice guidelineâ. J Card Fail. vol. 16. 2010. pp. e1-194. , and is updated.)

Hunt, SA, Abraham, WT, Chin, MH. â2009 focused update incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2005 guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heart failure in adults: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines developed in collaboration with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantationâ. J Am Coll Cardiol. vol. 53. 2009. pp. e1-e90. was a new addition to this set of guidelines.)

McMurray, JJ, Adamopoulos, S, Anker, SD. âESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012: The task force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association of the ESCâ. Eur Heart J. 2012. (The ESC had an independent set of guidelines for AHF in 2005, which were incorporated into, and updated in, the 2008 and 2012 documents.

It should be noted that there is very limited clinical trial evidence upon which these guidelines are based. However, there are some central articles that inform current practice and perspectives, a brief selection of which follows with annotations: