{"id":1288,"date":"2019-02-19T18:26:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T18:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=1288"},"modified":"2019-02-19T18:26:41","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T18:26:41","slug":"prevention-the-best-medicine-for-congestive-heart-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=1288","title":{"rendered":"Prevention the best medicine for congestive heart failure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few phrases elicit as much fear at diagnosis as \u201cheart failure,\u201d and Dr. Brendan Carry, Geisinger cardiologist admitted that the condition can definitely be serious.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are about six million people in the country who have heart failure,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom time of initial diagnosis, the patient currently only has about a 50 percent chance of survival at five years.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean a diagnosis of congestive heart failure is an automatic death sentence, according to Dr. John Pfeifer, interventional cardiologist at the Heart and Vascular Center of Evangelical.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHeart failure is a scary term, and when I discuss it with patients, I definitely can see that deer-in-a-headlights look,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, treatment has come a long way, and heart failure can run the full gamut. A lot of the time, we can make the situation better if the patient is willing to make some lifestyle changes to go with our treatment options.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What it is<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Congestive heart failure comes with a group of symptoms that generally include fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance and swelling in the feet and ankles, according to UPMC Susquehanna cardiologist Dr. Donald Nardone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have these symptoms, you may certainly be further along the continuum of heart disease,\u201d he said before adding that there are two broad categories of heart failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne type, called systolic by some, involves when the heart doesn\u2019t pump enough blood out \u2014 we look at the ejection fraction, and when a heart is pumping out at least 50 percent of the blood in the left ventricle, it is considered normal,\u201d Nardone said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the heart is pumping out less, especially 40 percent or less, we consider it an issue of poor pumping in the heart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The second category \u2014 considered diastolic according to Nardone \u2014 involves the heart not filling up with enough blood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis version can be much more complex to nail down and can be related to a variety of issues through the body,\u201d said Carry. \u201cThere can be a stiffness to the heart itself, damage to the blood vessels, problems with the metabolism of the muscles or other issue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The congestive part of heart failure involves the body\u2019s natural response to counteract the blood flow issue by filling up with excess fluids, according to Carry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe heart changes and ultimately the kidneys don\u2019t feel like they are getting enough blood flow, so they send hormones up that ultimately leads to excess fluid through the body that can lead to swelling, edema and extra fluid in the lungs which affects breathing,\u201d he said. \u201cPatients complain of being short of breath, they can\u2019t lay on their backs and may even feel they are drowning in their own fluid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential causes<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

According to Pfeifer, one of the main triggers of congestive heart failure can be a heart attack stemming from coronary artery disease, although not everyone who has a heart attack develops heart failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt can also come from a problem with the heart valve which can become excessively tight or be leaking,\u201d he said. \u201cOne of the biggest causes of heart failure in the past \u2014 especially in the 1940s and 50s \u2014 was hypertension. However, we\u2019ve come a long way in helping people regulate their blood pressure so it isn\u2019t as big of a cause as it once was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Carry added that things like drinking alcohol, smoking and even a viral infection can trigger heart failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve found that infections can definitely be an issue \u2014 in many of those cases, the infection itself may be long gone by the time we see the heart failure, but the scar tissue of the body\u2019s reaction to the infection lingers,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes is also closely connected to heart failure, according to Pfeifer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the issue with diabetes is that it can lead to coronary disease which leads to heart attacks and ultimately heart failure,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of new treatments for diabetes that can help, but the goal is to focus on the sugar consumption and keep that in check as well as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nardone added that sleep apnea can have a direct connection to heart failure issues, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prevention is best treatment<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Treatment options vary widely based on the individual\u2019s type of heart failure and underlying issues. Medications (such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors), surgery, heart pumps and even devices such as pacemakers can help offset some of the symptoms of the condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, prevention is the best form of treatment and better regulating what has caused your body to develop heart failure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaking lifestyle changes is important. If you smoke, stop. Get regular exercise \u2014 even if it is just a short walk each day,\u201d said Nardone. \u201cObesity can be an underlying issue with much of this, so getting your weight in check is key. That goes back to eating a healthier diet with more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods is important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the biggest reasons processed food is not good, Nardone said, is the increased sodium content.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSalt is definitely something to reduce when dealing with heart failure \u2014 including fluids released in the body,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018The best way to make sure you don\u2019t develop coronary disease is to maintain a healthy body weight, decrease sugar intake if you are diabetic and live as healthy a lifestyle as possible,\u201d Carry said. \u201cEspecially if your family has a history of coronary disease, diabetes or heart failure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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