Medication
Pharmacological treatments include:
- Getting recommended vaccinations (such as those for flu or pneumonia)
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Ace inhibitors)
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs)
- Beta-blockers
- Diuretics
- Other medications (eg, anticoagulants, statins, vasodilators).
Procedures
Some people whose CHF is discovered early and treated promptly and effectively can hope to have a nearly normal life expectancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , around half of people diagnosed with CHF will survive beyond five years.
Nutrition
End stage congestive heart failure has symptoms to indicate the stage of the condition. Among the symptoms, a CHF patient will experience extreme exhaustion, breathing difficulties, body comes to be in a weakened, wasted condition, extreme swelling, irregular heartbeat, and a loss of appetite.
What medications are used to treat CHF?
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone or methylprednisolone (Solu- Medrol ), which can improve breathing in people with COPD
- Antibiotics if any bacterial infection may be part of the problem
- Supplemental oxygen
- Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, a form of machine-assisted breathing
What is life expectancy for Real with CHF?
What to expect as end stage CHF?
What are the differences between COPD vs CHF?
What is the best treatment for severe CHF?
Heart transplantation is an appropriate treatment for some people with severe CHF. This is most often considered in people under age 70 who do not have significant disease of other organs. Mechanical assist devices, like ventricular assist devices, have also been developed to take over part of the heart's pump function. They are often used in critically ill people awaiting heart transplantation or they may be used for a longer time in older people who may not be good surgical candidates. A biventricular pacemaker is a device that can be implanted without the need for surgery to strengthen the coordination of ventricular contraction in some people with CHF.
What are the best lifestyle changes for people with CHF?
The most important lifestyle changes recommended for people with CHF is the restriction of dietary sodium and fluid. Patients with CHF often have excess fluid and overconsumption of sodium and fluid only worsen this condition.
What is the treatment for congestive heart failure?
Congestive heart failure treatment. The treatment of congestive heart failure is complex and involves an interaction among lifestyle modifications, medications, and in some cases, electric or mechanical devices to assist the heart.
How The Heart Works
The heart is comprised of four chambers: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle. There are valves between these chambers that regulate blood flow through the heart. In a normally functioning heart, the veins of the body deliver deoxygenated blood through the right atrium into the right ventricle.
What Is An Ejection Fraction
An ejection fraction is a measurement of the blood pumped out of your heart with each beat, expressed in a percentage. It can be measured using an echocardiogram , multigated acquisition scan, nuclear stress test,;magnetic resonance imaging ,;or during a cardiac catheterization. A normal ejection fraction is between 55% and 70%.
Stages Of Heart Failure
In 2001, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology described the “Stages of Heart Failure.” These stages, which were updated in 2005, will help you understand that heart failure is often a progressive condition and can worsen over time.
What Is Heart Failure
Heart failure doesnât mean the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart works less efficiently than normal. Due to various possible causes, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart canât pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body’s needs.
Hypertension Or High Blood Pressure
Another cause of congestive heart failure is high blood pressure or hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, your heart muscle works extra hard to pump blood through your body.;
Women And Heart Failure
Women are just as likely as men to develop heart failure, but there are some differences:
What Causes Heart Failure
Heart failure is caused by many conditions that damage the heart muscle, including:
Stage A
Stage A is considered the first stage of CHF. Technically, people in this stage are considered “pre-heart failure.” 1 This means that you are at higher risk of developing CHF because of your family history, personal health history, and lifestyle choices.
Stage B
Stage B is the second stage of heart failure, but it’s still considered pre-heart failure. You don’t have symptoms of heart failure, but you may have been diagnosed with systolic left ventricular dysfunction, which is reduced power in the left ventricle of your heart.
Stage C
Stage C is the first significant stage of heart failure in terms of how you feel. At this stage, you have been officially diagnosed with heart failure and have or had symptoms. Symptoms in this stage include: 2
Stage D
Stage D is advanced or severe heart failure. At this point, medications and other treatments don’t offer much relief from symptoms. Your symptoms are similar to those in stage C, but more severe. It may be difficult to do much physically without becoming severely tired or out of breath. 1
Prevention
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease. Once you have reached a certain stage, you may be able to slow its progression, but you can’t undo damage that has already been done to the heart. For this reason, prevention is a key strategy, especially for people with risk factors of CHF.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the end stages of heart failure, most physical activities will become difficult. You will likely require frequent or prolonged hospitalization or need home health or skilled nursing care. You may also need to wear oxygen or receive intravenous medications.
Summary
Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that can progress. The stages range from pre-heart failure to advanced heart failure. Once you move on to the next stage, you can’t go back even with treatment.
What is the best medication for heart failure?
Hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (BiDil). This drug combination helps relax blood vessels. It may be added to your treatment plan if you have severe heart failure symptoms and ACE inhibitors or beta blockers haven't helped. Vericiguat (Verquvo).
What to do if you think you have heart failure?
If you think you may have heart failure or you are worried about your heart failure risk because of other underlying conditions, make an appointment with your family doctor. If heart failure is found early, your treatment may be easier and more effective.
What are some medications that can't be tolerated?
They may be an option for people who can't tolerate ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers. These drugs slow your heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Beta blockers may reduce signs and symptoms of heart failure, improve heart function, and help you live longer.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on easing your symptoms and improving your quality of life. Anyone who has a serious or life-threatening illness can benefit from palliative care, either to treat symptoms of the disease, such as pain or shortness of breath, or to ease the side effects of treatment, such as fatigue or nausea.
What is the purpose of an echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram can be used to measure ejection fraction, which shows how well the heart is pumping and helps classify heart failure and guides treatment. Stress test.
How to diagnose heart failure?
To diagnose heart failure, your doctor will take a careful medical history, review your symptoms and perform a physical examination. Your doctor will also check for the presence of risk factors, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or diabetes.
What is a myocardial biopsy?
In this test, a doctor inserts a small, flexible cord into a vein in the neck or groin, and removes very small pieces of the heart muscle for examination. This test may be done to diagnose certain types of heart muscle diseases that cause heart failure.
How to improve heart health?
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.
What is the EF of the left ventricle?
The left ventricle is the heart's main pumping chamber. Your EF is expressed as a percentage. An EF that is below normal can be a sign of heart failure. If you have heart failure and a lower-than-normal (reduced) EF (HF-rEF), your EF helps your doctor know how severe your condition is.
What is the term for a heart muscle that is damaged by a virus?
Cardiomyopathy . Cardiomyopathy is a term that describes damage to and enlargement of the heart muscle not caused by problems with the coronary arteries or blood flow. Cardiomyopathy can occur due to many causes, including viruses, alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, genetics and pregnancy (peripartum cardiomyopathy).
What is the normal LVEF?
Normal Heart. A normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ranges from 55% to 70%. An LVEF of 65%, for example means that 65% of total amount of blood in the left ventricle is pumped out with each heartbeat. Your EF can go up and down, based on your heart condition and how well your treatment works.
Why can't the ventricles relax?
Because of this, the ventricles can't relax properly and fill up all the way. Because there's less blood in the ventricles, less blood is pumped out to the rest of the body when the heart contracts. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
What does it mean when your heart doesn't pump?
It doesn't mean the heart has "failed" or stopped working. It means the heart doesn't pump as well as it should. Heart failure is a major health problem in the United States, affecting about 5.7 million Americans. About 550,000 new cases of heart failure occur each year.
Does heart failure get worse over time?
Symptoms of heart failure can range from mild to severe, and may come and go. In general, heart failure gets worse over time. As it worsens, you may have more or different signs or symptoms. It is important to let your doctor know if you have new symptoms or if your symptoms get worse.
Stage A
Stage B
Stage C
Stage D
Specialist to consult
Prevention
- There’s no one test to diagnose heart failure. Your doctor will consider your medical history, family history, a physical exam and the results of various tests. These tests can include: 1. Electrocardiogram (EKG):A painless test that gives information about your heart’s electrical activity, including how fast it beats and whether you’ve ha…
Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Stage A is considered the first stage of heart failure. Technically, people in this stage don't have any evidence of heart failure but are considered to be at higher risk for developing heart failure due to family history, personal health history, and lifestyle choices.1 While you don’t have symptoms of heart failure, you could have other conditions that lead to heart failure, including:2 1. Hypertension (high blood pressure) 2. Diabetes 3. Coronary art…
Clinical Trials
- Stage B is the second stage of heart failure, but it’s considered "pre-heart failure". You don’t have symptoms of heart failure, but there may be evidence of structural heart disease. People at stage B typically have an ejection fraction (EF) of 40% or less.1This stage includes people who have heart failure and a reduced EF due to any cause. People at this stage may have some slight symptoms like:4 1. Slight physical limitations 2. Fatigue 3. Sho…
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Stage C is the first significant stage of heart failure in terms of how you feel. At this stage, you have been officially diagnosed with heart failure and have or had symptoms. Symptoms in this stage include:4 1. Noticeable limitations of physical activity 2. Shortness of breath with activity 3. A low tolerance for activity, easily tired 4. Heart palpitationsor chest pain 5. Most comfortable when you are resting
Coping and Support
- Stage D is advanced or severe heart failure. At this point, medications and other treatments don’t offer much relief from symptoms. Your symptoms are similar to those in stage C, but more severe. It may be difficult to do much physically without becoming severely tired or out of breath.5 You may also experience multiple organ failure as your blood pressure drops. When the heart can’t pump strongly enough, it can’t pump blood out to vital organs.6 …
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease. Once you have reached a certain stage, you may be able to slow its progression, but you can’t undo damage that has already been done to the heart. For this reason, prevention is a key strategy, especially for people with risk factors of CHF. Heart failure prevention focuses on managing your:8 1. Weig...