The inability of the heart to pump blood around the body adequately is known as heart failure. This can be because of weakness in the contraction of the heart muscle or stiffness of the heart muscle.
The common symptoms include tiredness, breathlessness and fluid retention or swelling around the ankles. There may also be problems lying flat and sleeping at night. Other less common symptoms include a persistent cough, loss of appetite, dizziness or palpitations.
You will need an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a blood test called a BNP or NT-proBNP to see if your symptoms are likely to be due to heart failure nor not. You will also need an echocardiogram (ultrasound) to measure the function of your heart.
If you are found to have heart failure, you will need a range of tests including blood tests and imaging which may include a cardiac MRI scan and/or a CT coronary angiogram. You may also need a 24-hour ECG to look for rhythm problems.
This is a often a long-term condition that requires regular check-ups and patient education so you understand your condition. You should stop smoking and maintain regular exercise.
Treatment with tablets is important and is likely to include an ACE-inhibitor (or Entresto), beta-blockers and perhaps spironolactone or eplerenone. You may also need to take diuretics such as furosemide which help your kidneys remove fluid from the body an reduce breathlessness and ankle swelling.
In some cases, other treatments may help, such as opening up blockages in arteries supplying the heart, or replacing or repairing leaky or narrowed heart valves.
Some patients in whom the electrical system of the heart is abnormal may benefit from a special kind of pacemaker (cardiac resynchronization therapy). If you are at risk of dangerous rhythms, you may also benefit from having a defibrillator which monitors and treats these.
Heart failure is an important condition to diagnose as there are a number of treatments which can improve symptoms and extend lifespan. It requires a multidisciplinary approach between cardiologists with different specialist interest. Our team of cardiologists are available for consultation on any day of the week and weekends as well.
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