Too Many People with Heart Failure

Heart failure may convey that the heart isn’t working anymore, but what it really means is that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should be (REF). Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen (REF). At first, the heart tries to make up for this by enlarging, developing more muscle mass, and pumping faster. As this happens, the blood vessels narrow to keep blood pressure up and the body diverts blood away from less important tissues and organs to maintain flow to the heart and brain (REF). Eventually, the body and heart cannot keep up and the patient begins to feel fatigue, breathing problems, weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach, and other symptoms that eventually leads to a hospital visit. The body’s coping mechanisms give us better understanding on why many are unaware of their condition until years after the heart declines (REF).

The prevalence of congestive heart failure is on the increase both in the United States and all over the world, and it is the leading cause of hospitalization in the elderly population. Congestive heart failure is a progressive disease generally seen in the elderly, which if not properly managed, can lead to repeated hospital admissions or death. Heart failure means that the heart muscle is weakened. A weakened heart muscle may not be strong enough to pump an adequate amount of blood out of its chambers. To compensate for its diminished pumping capacity, the heart may enlarge. Commonly, the heart's pumping inefficiency causes a buildup of blood in the

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body 's needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can 't keep up with its workload. American Heart Association Statistics (2016) reveals that heart failure accounts for 36% of cardiovascular disease deaths. Projections report a 46% increase in the prevalence of Heart Failure (HF) by 2030 by affecting over 8 million people above 18 years with the disease. Healthy People 2020 goals are focused on attaining high quality longer lives free of preventable diseases, promotion of quality of life, healthy development and healthy behaviors across all stages of life (Healthy People 2020, 2015).

Heart Failure is a progressive heart disease when the muscle of the heart is weakened so that it cannot pump blood as it should; the blood backs up into the blood vessels around the lungs and the other parts of the body (NHS Choice, 2015). In heart failure, the heart is not able to maintain a normal range cardiac output to meet the metabolic needs of the body (Kemp and Conte, 2012). Heart failure is a major worldwide public health problem, it is the end stage of heart disease and it could lead to high mortality. At present, heart failure is usually associated with old age, given the dramatic increase in the population of older people (ACCF/AHA, 2013). In the USA, there are about 5.7 million adults who have heart failure, about half of the people die within 5 years of diagnosis, and it costs the nation an estimated $30.7 billion each year (ACCF/AHA, 2013).

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Roughly 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year (Emory Healthcare, 2014). Heart failure is a pathologic state where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the demand of the body’s metabolic needs or when the ventricle’s ability to fill is impaired. It is not a disease, but rather a complex clinical syndrome. The symptoms of heart failure come from pulmonary vascular congestion and inadequate perfusion of the systemic circulation. Individuals experience orthopnea,

As the process occurs with each heart beat, it is easy to see that John’s heart is under continuous strain from the added work. Pinneo/19958 feels that any factor that puts strain on the heart causing it to work hard is one of the causes of heart failure.

There are many causes for heart failure. The most common cause is coronary heart disease (Moore and Roth, 2015). CHD is a disease in which the coronary arteries are blocked, preventing the heart muscles from getting the oxygenated blood they need. Heart failure can be caused by other present or past conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal heart valves, diseased heart muscle, irregular heartbeats, heart defects, serious lung disease, poisons or substance abuse, and sleep apnea (Heart Failure Overview).

Approximately 5.3 million Americans have heart failure and account for more hospital admissions than any other diagnosis in patients over 65

The condition can be caused by many different cardiac disorders. It is important to remember that heart failure is not the actual disease, but it is the result of other conditions. This means that if you have any type of heart disease, you can be at risk for congestive heart failure.

Heart failure is more commonly diagnosed in the elderly population. There are ways to help manage heart failure like lifestyle modifications and use of pharmacology, and assessment for surgical intervention. Treatment of heart failure requires intensive medical, dietary, behavioral, and lifestyle modification to achieve improved quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, and decreased mortality (Singh, H., McGregor, Nigro, Higginson, and Larsen, 2014).

The cardiac muscle cells can be affected by heart disease through the inability to maintain its homeostasis through the calcium pump. If there is excess calcium within the heart it results in the in ability of the heart muscle to relax. As a result, the ADP/ATP ratio increases, phosphocreatine decreases, and energy stores are depleted. Furthermore, this imbalance affects the energy needed to relax the left ventricle. Secondly, diastolic heart failure can occur from changes in preload, afterload, renin-angiotension-aldosterone system, and the sympathetic nervous system. These changes affect the fibrillar collagen within the extracellular matrix that affects the ability of the ventricular to relax. These changes along with those compensatory mechanisms results in continuous resistance that results in increased in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (McCance & Huether, 2010).

Its prevalence is expected to continue to rise over the next several years due to decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease and the growth of the elderly population. The key actions for heart failure patient care are to provide a comprehensive and cost effective heart failure service for all, and to implement an agreed pathway for the care of those with chronic heart failure.

Heart failure describes a medical condition when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to the body [85]. While heart failure does not mean the immediate stopping of the heart, it is a serious and fatal condition. A study has found that the 4-year mortality rate for chronic heart failure was 43% for patients with preserved systolic function, and 54% for patients with reduced systolic function [86]. Heart failure is prevalent, with about 2-3% of adults worldwide showing signs of heart failure [86]. The economic burden from heart failure is high. In the United States alone, the healthcare cost associated to heart failure is $39.2 billion [87].

As the population ages heart failure is expected to increase exceptionally. About twenty-two percent of men and forty-four percent of women will develop heart failure within six years of having a heart attack. “Thirty years ago patients would have died from their heart attacks!” (Couzens)

Heart failure is a chronic disease that has been affecting individuals for centuries. According to American Heart Association 2017, heart failure occurs when heart muscles is weakened and cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s demanding need for blood and oxygen. Heart failure can be hereditary. However if not hereditary, there are environmental factors that can contribute to heart failure. Heart failure can be prevented and control. In this paper, I will discuss the causes of heart failure. I will aso discuss how heart failure can be prevented. If heart failure is not prevented, I will also discuss how to live with heart failure.