Congestive Heart Disease
Congestive heart disease is also known as heart failure or congestive heart failure (CHF). It is a progressive debilitating disease affecting people of all ages that can eventually lead to death if left untreated.
About Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart disease affects almost 5 million Americans with over 500 thousand new cases each year.
It is a life threatening condition is the most common cause of death in those over the age of 60. Congestive heart failure develops when the heart can not pump enough blood to supply the organs of the body. The heart begins to weaken and the chambers of the heart stretch to attempt to accommodate more blood. This means that the pressure inside of the heart is higher than normal which will eventually cause the heart muscle walls to weaken. As less blood is pumped to the body, the kidneys do not get enough oxygen and lose the ability to excrete sodium, resulting in salt and fluid retention.
Excess fluid will pool in the arms and legs, causing swelling and will eventually pool in the lungs causing congestion and difficulty breathing. Though congestive heart disease affects primarily older persons, it can affect younger people as well including infants in a condition known as congenital heart disease.
Congestive Heart Disease Causes
Heart failure can be caused by a number of conditions that contribute to damage of the heart including:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a narrowing of the blood vessels that provide oxygen and energy to the heart muscle. Narrowing of these blood vessels will mean that the heart muscle no longer gets the oxygen and energy it needs to work efficiently.
- Heart attack or myocardial infarction occurs when a portion of the blood supply to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked causing death of an area of heart tissue. In some cases, this will mean the heart can no longer function appropriately.
- Kidney disease results in the inability of the kidney to filter the blood and remove chemicals such as sodium and protein which will result in fluid retention causing the heart to have to pump more blood.
- High blood pressure causes the heart to have to use more effort to pump blood through the body.
- Diabetes will cause high blood sugar levels in the blood. Because insulin is not working to move glucose into body cells of the heart, the muscle can become damaged through lack of energy. In addition, high blood glucose levels can directly damage heart muscle cells over a long period of time.
- Valve damage to the flaps of the heart that keep the individual chambers closed may contribute to heart failure. If the valves are not working properly, the heart cannot pump efficiently.
- Defects present at birth can also cause heart failure because the heart muscle is not structured properly to work efficiently.
Congestive Heart Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of congestive heart failure may be initially not noticed or may be mild enough to cause little difficulty, however as the disease progresses notable symptoms may appear such as:
- Fluid and water retention – swelling in the feet, ankles and hands, known as edema is a common symptom of congestive heart disease. In late stage congestive heart failure, fluid may even begin to build up in the abdomen in a condition known as ascites. Many patients will experience a need to urinate at night because when they lie down, fluid leaves the extremities and can be removed by the kidneys.
- Congested Lungs – fluid backs up into the lungs causing shortness of breath during exercise, difficulty breathing when lying down and may result in excessive coughing.
- Mental Changes – dizziness, fatigue, slowed thinking and weakness may be caused by an inadequate supply of blood to the brain and muscles.
- Rapid or Irregular Heart Rhythm – as the heart begins to tire and deteriorate, it attempts to compensate by speeding up and may result in irregular heartbeats known as palpitations.
Congestive Heart Disease Treatment
Lifestyle changes such as weight loss, limiting salt, moderate exercise and quitting smoking are all recommended for the diagnosis of CHF but patients who are having symptoms of congestive heart disease will most likely require medications such as:
Diuretics – hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), Dyazide, Lasix, Demadex, Aldactone
ACE Inhibitors – Capoten, Zestril, Altace, Lotensin, Mavik
Angiotensin Blockers – Diovan, Cozaar, Avapro, Micardis, Atacand
Digitalis – Lanoxin (digoxin)
Beta Blockers – Lopressor, Toprol, Coreg
It is important to remember to follow all recommendations for dietary and lifestyle changes as well as to take prescribed medication exactly to minimize further damage to the heart muscle and reduce the chance of heart disease related death.
