What is Chronic Heart Failure?
Chronic heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to sustain adequate circulation in the body’s tissues. The earliest sign of heart failure is a decrease in blood output from the left ventricle. In many cases, this decrease in pumping output is accompanied by irregular heart beats, or arrhythmias. These can negatively affect the heart’s ability to pump blood and are potentially lethal. However, while heart failure is a serious condition, it is not always the death sentence that its name suggests. Thousands of heart failure patients live well with this condition.
Symptoms
- The traditional symptoms of heart failure are:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath from any type of exertion, including ordinary daily activities such as dressing,
- bathing or shopping (Dyspnea)
- Swelling, usually of the feet and ankles (Edema)
Causes
Heart failure is typically a late result of one or more other cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, hypertension and valvular disease. Restricted blood flow to the heart muscle (coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease) is thought to account for approximately 70 percent of heart failure cases.
- Numerous other disorders and factors may also contribute to the development of heart failure,including metabolic disturbances, toxins or infections, hypersensitivity reactions, and a number of acquired or genetic diseases.
- Up to 50 percent of patients with advanced heart failure have electrical conduction problems within the heart, such as bundle branch block or ventricular tachycardia (rapid heart beats), which maycontribute to worsening of symptoms.
- As treatment has improved for other heart conditions, particularly myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), more patients survive the short-term event only to develop heart failure later.
Growing Incidence of Heart Failure and its Impact on Society
- Heart failure is estimated to afflicts millions of people globally and this number is expected to
- double in the next five years.
- In people diagnosed with heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest occurs at 6-9 times the rate of the general population.
- Risk of heart failure increases dramatically with age. Heart failure affects approximately 10 of every 1,000 people over the age of 65.
- About 22 percent of men and 46 percent of women who suffer heart attacks will be disabled by heart failure within six years.
- Once heart failure is diagnosed, prognosis is poor in some cases, especially where little or no treatment is sought: Overall mortality is 10 percent at one year and 50 percent at five years.
To go back to the Main Info Page click here
To visit one of the best sites on the web for health related matters click here
To search the net, type below
Custom Search
The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
