Heart failure: Symptoms, risk factors and treatment.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and heart failure is one of its most serious forms. Covenant Cardiologist Mayar Jundi appeared on WNEM TV's Medical Moments to clarify what heart failure is, how to spot it, and what can be done for heart failure patients.

"Heart failure is failure of the heart as a pump to deliver blood to the organs of the body," explains Dr. Jundi. "What patients feel usually because of that is shortness of breath, fatigue, and an inability to do things they used to do." Other symptoms can include weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles, or stomach, difficulty breathing when lying down, and fluid build-up in the lungs.

Risk factors for heart failure.

Cases of heart failure usually fall into one of two categories: heart failure resulting from a heart attack, and heart failure not resulting from other causes. "Heart attacks usually damage the muscle of the heart, making the heart muscle weak," says Dr. Jundi.

Other factors that increase one's risk of heart failure are:

• Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Taking certain medications, such as those used in chemotherapy

Treatment for heart failure.

Though heart failure is a serious condition, there are treatments that can manage it and improve heart function.

Medication – Most heart failure patients take medication of some kind. The kind of medication prescribed will depend on the contributing factors that led to your heart failure (for instance, a heart attack or diabetes).

Lifestyle changes – Patients with heart failure are usually encouraged to eat a low-sodium diet and get daily exercise.

Implantable devices – If a patient's condition does not improve with medication alone, there are different types of devices that can be implanted to help the heart function:

• Pacemaker – Pacemakers stimulate the heart to beat using electrical impulses and can be implanted using a minimally invasive procedure.
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) – An ICD monitors the rhythms of your heart; if it senses dangerous rhythms, it can deliver a shock to normalize your heartbeat. Like the pacemaker, it can be implanted with minimally invasive surgery.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the symptoms of heart failure, consult a Covenant cardiologist.

Posted Date: 2/14/2019