The term "heart failure" means that the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It happens when the heart is too weak to pump blood effectively or when it is too stiff to fill up with enough blood. The American Heart Association says that 670,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year and that 5.7 million Americans are living with this condition. When discussing heart failure, there are several factors to consider.
Causes
Heart failure occurs when the heart is damaged or weakened by other other conditions, as stated by the Mayo Clinic. Some medical conditions that can lead to heart failure include coronary heart disease, which reduces blood supply to the heart, thereby depriving the heart of oxygen; high blood pressure, which causes the heart to pump blood against high pressures and may lead to weakening of the heart; cardiomyopathies, which involve damage to the heart muscles due to things like infection or excessive alcohol consumption; and constrictive pericarditis, where the heart is not able to fill up with enough blood due to a lack of elasticity.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for heart failure can be classified into those that can be changed and those that cannot be changed. Modifiable risk factors for heart failure include lifestyle choices like smoking, eating unhealthy diets, drinking too much alcohol and not exercising. They also include medical conditions that can be managed such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
Non-modifiable risk factors of heart failure include a person's race, gender and age. African- Americans are more likely to suffer from heart failure than people of other races. This may be because they are more prone to having high blood pressure. Men have a higher rate of heart failure than women, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. As people age, their risk for heart disease goes up because heart muscles weaken with age.
Complications
Complications that can result from heart failure include kidney damage, liver damage and pulmonary edema. In heart failure, blood flow to all the organs in the body including the kidneys is reduced. This can lead to kidney damage. Fluid can build up in the body as a result of heart failure. The liver can become swollen with fluids in heart failure. When this happens, it may not be able to function properly, in which case liver damage can occur. Pulmonary edema refers to accumulation of fluid in the lungs and can be caused by heart failure. It leads to shortness of breath.
Prevention
Heart failure can be prevented by managing underlying medical conditions that can cause it. This involves taking all appropriate medications as prescribed. Not smoking, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight as recommended by a physician and being physically active are ways in which heart failure can be prevented.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center : Heart failure Complications
- Mayo Clinic: Heart failure
- American Heart Association: Heart failure
- "Essentials of Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States"; Carol Porth; 2007
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Who Is At Risk for Heart Failure?
