According to doctors, heart failure is a “tired” heart condition, the heart is not working to meet the body’s needs. This disease is silent but dangerous with increasing incidence, many people do not even know that they have this disease.
It is estimated that in the United States – where the drug is developed, each year more than 5 million people are still being treated for heart failure. In our country, although there is no official study on the incidence of heart failure, it is estimated that about 1.6 million people suffer from this disease.
The life expectancy of heart failure patients depends on many factors such as age, comorbidities, severity of disease, ability to adhere to treatment… So how to recognize and treat heart failure early?
MSc Van Duc Hanh – Vietnam Heart Institute has a useful sharing about this silent but dangerous disease.
1. The dangers of heart failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the function of the heart is reduced, the activity of the contractions of the heart is reduced, causing shortness of breath and fatigue for the patient; or oedema.
If heart failure is not detected, diagnosed and treated early, this disease will easily progress to end-stage heart failure with a high mortality rate.
For patients with end-stage heart failure, if medical treatment fails to respond, a heart transplant can be performed, but heart transplant resources are very scarce.
2. Causes of heart failure, what subjects are vulnerable?
– There are many causes of heart failure such as heart disease (valve disease, pericardial disease, coronary artery disease … are the main diseases that often cause heart failure).
In addition, several other diseases cause heart failure such as lung disease, kidney disease, systemic disease.
Subjects at high risk for heart failure include patients with high blood pressure. In Vietnam, the rate of hypertension accounts for more than 25%, 1 in 4 adults has high blood pressure – this is a very high risk of heart failure.
The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of cardiovascular events. Simply put, when systolic or diastolic blood pressure increases, the patient’s chances of having a stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, kidney failure… increase.
To reduce cardiovascular events, scientists around the world have found that: Patients with hypertension should have a blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg, even blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg the likelihood of experiencing an event will be greatly reduced .
A recently published analysis of more than 33,000 patients revealed exciting new findings. Example: The best reduction in all-cause mortality is when blood pressure reaches 140-155/70-80 mmHg, to reduce myocardial infarction, the best blood pressure is 110-120/85-90 mmHg, to reduce in congestive heart failure, blood pressure should be 125 -135/70-75 mmHg.
Some other subjects may also have heart failure such as diabetics, obesity, dyslipidemia, etc.
3. Early signs of heart failure
Heart failure is a serious disease, but many people don’t even know they have it. In high-risk subjects as noted above, or in patients with valvular disease, mitral regurgitation, the obvious sign is dyspnea on exertion.
This is shortness of breath that occurs when walking, exercising, walking around the house, and often shortness of breath at the end of the day, the symptoms of which are relieved by rest.
People with these symptoms should go to the hospital with a cardiologist as soon as possible to get an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.
Some other signs like leg edema, little urination… are also quite common of heart failure.
4. Diagnosis and treatment of heart failure
To diagnose heart failure, patients will undergo heart tests, electrocardiography to help suggest a diagnosis of heart failure – especially in those who present with left ventricular thickening, arrhythmias, or lesions. ECG-related coronary artery disease is highly suggestive of heart failure. The patient will then undergo an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis of heart failure.
MSc.BS Van Duc Hanh – Vietnamese Heart Institute.
In addition, tests related to heart failure are also very valuable in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with heart failure.
For patients with acute heart failure – that is, conditions with symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath, edema, dry cough, scanty urine … manifest quickly and severely. Patients often need to be hospitalized for emergency care. Acute heart failure may appear first in people with hypertension, diabetes… or it may recur in people who have already been diagnosed with heart failure.
There are many risk factors that promote the development of acute heart failure, the most common of which are:
Stop taking medication, take medication irregularly. Especially giving up drugs for heart failure, hypertension, diabetes… This is the most common cause in Vietnam.
Eating too salty (eating a lot of fish sauce, salt…)
Drink lots of wine and beer
Using drugs that damage the heart muscle in people with heart disease such as pain relievers, corticosteroids, cancer drugs…
Infections, such as upper respiratory tract infection or lower respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, etc. can worsen heart failure.
In addition, there are other factors such as: acute lung disease, increased sympathetic activity … also exacerbate heart failure
5. Tips to help prevent heart failure
– In order to prevent heart failure and maintain heart health, it is first necessary to identify subjects with high risk factors for causing heart failure such as hypertension, diabetes, blood lipids, etc. This disease needs to be treated properly.
– People should stop smoking.
– In terms of diet, light eating will help increase blood pressure and reduce water retention in people with heart failure. The diet should include lots of vegetables and fruits. Limit eating fat, don’t eat animal offal…
– Don’t drink a lot of alcohol.
– Regular exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, will help us have a healthier life, a better heart.
If you already have heart failure, an annual flu shot has been shown to reduce your risk of developing heart failure if you get the flu.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: Eva.vn – Read the original article here
