SelectHealth | Total Fitness | Winter 2016

13 / 16

To learn more about heart failure, visit
.
STAGE A: RISK FACTORS OF HEART FAILURE*
High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, toxic agents to the
heart (excessive alcohol use, illicit drug use, some chemotherapies), and a
family history of heart muscle disease.
STAGE B: NO SYMPTOMS
BUT STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASE IS PRESENT*
Changes are found in the heart’s structure: valve disease, heart attack,
heart muscle thickness.
STAGE C: CURRENT OR PAST SYMPTOMS OF HEART FAILURE*
The heart is either stiff or weak, and symptoms, including shortness of
breath, fatigue, and fluid retention, occur during activity.
STAGE D: END-STAGE DISEASE, PROGRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
Despite typical therapies, symptoms progress. Patients in this stage may
be considered for heart transplant, heart assist devices, or may need
hospice care.
*Without treatment, progression to the next stage will occur.
If other family members have heart
failure, it may be wise to get screened
to assess your own risk. Preventing
heart failure starts with recognition
of risk factors to prevent progression
of the disease. If left untreated, the
heart muscle becomes affected and
symptoms develop.
What are the symptoms of heart
failure? If you have any of the following
symptoms, you should contact your
healthcare professional for an evaluation:
new or increased shortness of breath,
increased fatigue with activity, or fluid
retention that is seen in swollen legs or
ankles. You may also notice abdominal
bloating, chest pain or pressure, your
heart racing, needing to sleep with your
head propped on pillows because it’s
easier to breathe, or waking up short of
breath while you try to sleep.
How is heart failure treated? Once a
weak heart muscle is diagnosed, treatments
will include specific medications to
reduce fluid retention and others that
improve the quality and length of life and
reduce the chance of being hospitalized.
At times, specialized pacemakers or
defibrillators may be implanted when the
heart remains weak despite medications.
Heart transplant and mechanical heart
devices (Left Ventricular Assist Devices
or LVADs) are reserved for a specific
group of patients with a very weak heart
muscle who continue to have a poor
quality of life despite medications and
pacemakers. For people with a stiff heart
muscle, treatment will include relieving
congestion and treating other conditions
that contribute to existing symptoms
(high blood pressure, sleep apnea, obesity,
and coronary artery disease).
—Continued from page 4
| Winter 2016 | Total Fitness 5