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FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH HEART FAILURE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW
What are the causes? Systolic heart failure is commonly caused by coronary artery disease (heart artery blockages), often the result of underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. Diastolic heart failure (stiff muscles of the heart) is typically caused by age and high blood pressure. Additional causes of heart failure include obesity, family history of heart disease, congenital (present at birth) heart disorders, heart valve disorders, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), certain viruses and infiltrative diseases and sleep apnea. AfricanAmericans are more susceptible to heart failure than Caucasians. How is it diagnosed? Patients are asked about their symptoms and medical history and undergo a physical examination. If heart failure is suspected, lab work and/or an echocardiogram (echo) is ordered. An echo is an ultrasound of the heart, which is the imagingmodality used to find out if patients have heart failure. Oftentimes, people find out there is a problem—an enlarged heart or f luid in the lungs, for instance—from a chest X-ray performed for another reason. Theymight not even know they had heart failure. How can I prevent getting heart failure? Maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent or manage medical conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes, that can cause your heart to fail. Take your medications as prescribed. See your primary care physician for regular checkups. Control your weight. Don’t smoke. Avoid excessive alcohol intake. Exercise daily. And eat a healthful diet. Patients should try to stay away from red meats and instead eat white-meat chicken and turkey and salmon. Eating lots of nuts, fruits and vegetables—avocado, f laxseed, berries and walnuts—is encouraged as well. People should use olive oil for cooking and cook more natural foods at home versus eating out a lot. It’s also good to avoid processed foods and foods with lots of ingredients on the packaging, which contain preservatives that can lead to risk factors for heart disease and heart failure. Patients with high blood pressure also need to take their medications and avoid salty foods.
Is there a link between COVID-19 and heart failure?
Over 6millionAmerican adults suffer fromheart failure, and that number is expected to grow to 8million by 2030 according to the American Heart Association. What is heart failure? What causes it? How can it be managed? And is there a linkage between COVID-19 and heart failure? Cardiovascular disease specialist Arvin Bansal, MD, answers these and other frequently asked questions about heart failure. Dr. Bansal is affiliated with Memorial HermannHealth Systemand sees patients at theMemorial HermannHeart &Vascular Center atMemorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. What is heart failure? A heart is a pump. And when the pump is not working, then that is termed heart failure. There are two types of heart failure, systolic and diastolic. Systolic heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is not squeezing or contracting well, so the blood, instead of going forward out of the heart, goes backwards and into the lungs. Diastolic heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is stiff and cannot relax well. Blood goes into the heart, but since the heart cannot relax very well, it cannot fill completely. And when it cannot fill completely, f luid accumulates back into the lungs. Is heart failure the same thing as heart attack? No, heart failure means the heart is not pumping well. A heart attack is specifically due to a blockage in the arteries of the heart. That said, a heart attack can cause heart failure. When someone has a heart attack, some of the heart muscle can die, preventing the heart from pumping efficiently. This can lead to heart failure. What are the symptoms? Common symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, particularly with activity or exertion, and swelling of the legs and ankles. Individuals with heart failure might be unable to lie f lat due to shortness of breath or may have trouble sleeping because of it, sometimes waking up gasping for air. Some might experience chest pain. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. Go see your primary care doctor or a cardiologist.
I think it’s still way too early for us to really know if there is a correlation. But we do see heart fai lure in some acutely i l l COVID-19 patients. What treatments are available for heart failure at Memorial Hermann Southeast?
Arvin Bansal, MD Cardiovascular Disease Specialist
The affiliated heart and vascular specialists at Memorial Hermann Southeast can diagnose and treat a broad spectrum of heart diseases, including heart failure. In addition tomedications, we use stents or performbypass surgery for blocked arteries; treat valvular disorders, often using minimally invasive procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); and perform catheter ablations for heart rhythm disorders. For patients experiencing advanced heart failure, for whommedical therapies don’t work, we provide seamless transfer to the Center for Advanced Heart Failure at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Are there any new advancements on the horizon at Memorial Hermann to treat heart failure? Memorial Hermann participates in numerous research studies, called clinical trials, to find new medications and devices to treat heart failure. We can evaluate patients at Memorial Hermann Southeast for those trials, to determine if they meet the criteria for enrollment, and refer those patients on for further evaluation. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of heart attack, seek immediate emergency medical attention. If you believe you are at risk for—or are experiencing symptoms of—heart failure, talk to your primary care physician or a cardiologist right away. Early diagnosis and treatment can extend and improve your quality of life.
To learn more, or to schedule an appointment with a Memorial Hermann affiliated physician, visit memorialhermann.org/heart
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BAY AREA EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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