How do Physicians Treat Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure is precisely what it sounds like; it is a failure of the heart to properly function, and its effects on the body can be devastating. Physicians do their best to treat the symptoms and give the patient the best prognosis possible; however, no true cure for congestive heart failure currently exists.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to properly pump blood throughout the body; as a result, rather than distributing nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and then excreting the excess fluid into the urine the blood pools. This results in either a systemic or localized edema as fluid builds up in the veins and organs, causing swelling of the extremities as well as the organs themselves (this fluid accumulation is responsible for an excessive amount of stress on the heart as fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity as well as the dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, often symptomatic of heart failure). The swelling and lack of oxygen and nutrients will result in permanent damage to the organs if left untreated, providing a very poor prognosis for the patient.

The first stage of treatment generally consists of the administration of extra oxygen to attempt to return the oxygen levels in the tissues to normal. Once oxygen has been administered and a pulse oximeter reveals blood oxygen levels to be acceptable the focus will shift to attempting to treat the fluid build-up in the body. Diuretics will be administered to assist the excess fluid on its path out of the body via the urinary tract, and nitrates are administered to cause the vessels to dilate, allowing blood to flow more freely without the heart having to work quite as hard. Treatment with diuretics is often accompanied by supplemental potassium, as the body will excrete potassium in the urine and long term hypokalemia may result in muscle weakness or paralysis, as well as an increased risk of fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

Patients will often be sent home from the hospital with diuretics, as well as a medication known as an ACE inhibitor (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) which prevents the body from creating angiotensin, a substance which raises blood pressure and causes the blood vessels to constrict. An angiotensin II receptor blocker may also be administered if the patient continues to produce angiotensin. Patients may also be treated with vasodilators other than ACE inhibitors, particularly if they have responded poorly to treatments with ACE inhibitors in the past. Nitroglycerin is a common example of this type of medication.

Digitalis, or Digoxin, may be prescribed to strengthen the force of the heart’s contractions, aiding it to push blood throughout the body. Treatment with a beta blocker is also beneficial in cases of heart failure, preventing the heart from beating more rapidly in an attempt to compensate for the poor movement of the blood in the body and placing more stress on the weakened muscle.

Blood thinners are used to prevent the formation of clots in the body that may be caused by the decreased movement of the blood in the vessels. Coumadin and heparin are the most commonly prescribed blood thinners in use today; however, due to an increased risk of bleeding patients taking these medications should undergo coagulation testing regularly.

Lifestyle changes are just as important as medications in the long term treatment of heart failure. Patients should consult with their doctor to establish an appropriate (low sodium) diet and exercise program, and should do at least some moderate exercise daily. Equally important is taking sufficient time to rest every day. The heart pumps more easily when the body is at rest, which is vital to an already overstressed muscle. The nicotine from cigarettes causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and the tendency for clumping in the blood vessels; patients with heart failure should abstain from smoking. Flu or pneumonia can be very difficult for hearts that are failing as they attempt to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the bloodstream being carried to the organs. It is very important that patients receive an annual influenza vaccine, as well as a dose of the pneumococcal vaccine, which will protect them from the pneumococcal bacteria that cause over eighty percent of cases of bacterial pneumonia. Wearing non-constrictive clothing will assist in preventing blood clots and facilitating blood flow to the extremeties, and in cases of extremely warm or extremely cold temperatures it is important that the patient take all precautions necessary to keep the body at an appropriate temperature..

Researchers are still seeking to find a cure for congestive heart failure; however, until that day comes it is extremely important that patients suffering from heart failure follow the treatment plan outlined by their physician. With careful attention to maintaining their condition, the prognosis associated with heart failure increases dramatically.

Enjoy the Highest Quality of Life Possible With Congestive Heart

Enjoy the Highest Quality of Life Possible With Congestive Heart Failure

There is no doubt about it, cardiac complications can impact every corner of life, forcing patients to forego activities they previously enjoyed and causing them to feel as though they have sacrificed their life to save it. There are, however, many steps patients can take to allow them to enjoy life even after having been diagnosed with heart failure.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the cells of the heart are unable to constrict properly and pump blood through the body. This results in edema throughout the body, particularly in and around the lungs and is the cause of the dyspnea that is typical of heart failure. To counteract this, patients should take any diuretics prescribed by their doctor and maintain a low sodium diet, allowing the excess fluid to leave through the renal system and making it easier for the patient to breathe. Daily exercise is important; it is not necessary that it be vigorous, patients should consult with their physician prior to embarking on an exercise regime to ensure that they will not be taxing their heart unnecessarily. It is possible that if a patient has previously enjoyed activities that put a great deal of strain on the heart they will find it necessary to restrict themselves to less stressful endeavors; however, with the proper precautions many physical activities are still permitted.

The heart pumps blood more easily when the body is at rest; therefore, it is essential that patients with heart failure schedule time daily to rest. They may sit and read or watch television, take a nap or meditate; any activity that allows the body time to recharge. Meditation is being considered as a possible method of treatment for patients suffering from heart failure; meditation causes the heart to beat slower, blood pressure to normalize, the muscles to use oxygen more efficiently and the body to produce less adrenaline. All of these factors make it easier for the heart to function.

Any patient suffering from heart failure should abstain from smoking. Inhaling nicotine causes the body’s blood pressure and heart rate to increase, less oxygen to reach the muscles and an increased clumping and stickiness in blood vessels that may impede blood flow. All of these factors cause the heart to beat harder in an attempt to compensate, placing more stress on an already weak heart.

Patients should also avoid flu and pneumonia as much as possible, avoiding crowded areas during cold and flu season and receiving both an annual influenza vaccination and at least one dose of the pneumococcal vaccine (this will provide some protection against pneumococcal bacteria, the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia). The decreased oxygen in the blood resulting from either flu or pneumonia will result in the heart pumping harder in an attempt to compensate.

Everything in their life affects a patient’s well being when they are suffering from congestive heart failure, right down to their clothing. These patients should avoid restrictive clothing and stockings as much as possible, as these items present an increased risk for clotting and a blockage of blood to the extremities. They should also avoid temperature extremes as much as possible and dress appropriately for the weather; the body must work much harder to maintain temperature when it is either extremely hot or extremely cold.

The most beneficial thing that patients suffering from heart failure can do to allow them to enjoy their life is to enjoy their life. The negative effects of stress on the heart are well documented, and patients who live a stress free existence create a much better environment for their heart than those who are unhappy or overworked. So by maintaining a positive mental state, patients are able to help themselves both emotionally and physically.

What New Therapies for Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure?

Heart disease is one of the deadliest killers in the world to date. Congestive heart failure, a condition found secondary to many major cardiac diseases, possesses its own high mortality rate. Fifty percent of those diagnosed with congestive heart failure will die within the five following years. Scientists and researchers are struggling to understand the exact mechanisms of the disease, and to find a cure.

Congestive heart failure results as the cells in the heart die or become non-functioning due to an event such as a myocardial infarction (a heart attack) or ischemic heart disease. Whatever the cause, the heart is subsequently unable to pump blood adequately throughout the body, resulting in the blood pooling in the organs and fluid building up in and around the lungs as sodium is unable to be properly excreted, causing the dyspnea that is the classic symptom of congestive heart failure.

Clinical research is targeted at both the treatment of the disease and the possibility of repairing the damaged cells in the heart. Current research is underway to test new medications that would assist in vasodilation, as well as a calcium inhibitor that would not result in the higher incidence of cardiac arrhythmia seen with the medications currently on the market.

In the age of natural medicine, the power of the mind has been invoked in clinical trials to use meditation and relaxation techniques to combat the stress on the heart that can be the breaking point for patients with heart failure. Stress has been shown to negatively affect the body’s blood pressure, forcing the heart to work harder and placing an undue amount of pressure on an already weakened muscle. The theory lies in the belief that by learning to maintain a low level of mental stress the heart will be less stressed and therefore less likely to fail completely, and the patient can be given a better prognosis.

Alongside the return to natural, holistic methods of treatment is an incredible advancement in clinical technology that was not available twenty or thirty years ago. Scientists claim to have identified a set of altered genes that can make an individual more disposed to suffer from congestive heart failure and are using their current knowledge of genes and the benefits of gene therapy to attempt to reverse the effect. In addition, medications to tamp down on the genes’ activities, such as beta blockers and alpha-2 agonists are already available and being used in treatment programs.

Also being explored is the possibility of using stem cells, the body’s pluripotent progenitors, to assist in reparation of the damaged heart tissue. Clinical trials showed that patients suffering from congestive heart failure responded very favorably to an injection of their own stem cells into the heart, although the exact means by which this causes improvement is as yet unknown. It is suspected that these cells either facilitate the growth of new vessels in the heart or act as beacon, attracting the body’s own healing cells to the site of the damage and stimulating repair.

The possibility of actually growing healthy tissue from embryonic stem cells to be transplanted is also being explored, although the controversial nature of the use of embryonic stem cells due to the necessary destruction of the embryo makes this questionable in the foreseeable future. Scientists have determined that adult stem cells simply cannot provide an adequate number of new cells to meet the needs of patients who have suffered heart failure.

Heart failure is incredibly dangerous because the body cannot reproduce the dead tissue cells in the heart; however, with modern advancements it is the great hope of researchers everywhere to one day find a cure.