What women need to know about heart disease

Have you heard of heart failure? It is not a heart attack. But they are both forms of heart conditions.

A heart attack is when the blood flow to the heart is suddenly reduced or blocked. Heart failure happens when the heart does not pump blood as well as should. And it affects almost 3 million women a year.

Insight into this condition can help you know if you are at risk – and what you can do about it.

The dangers of heart failure

Heart failure, which usually happens over time as the heart muscles become weaker, can lead to many serious problems, including:

• Kidney damage
• Liver damage
• Irregular heartbeat
• Sudden heart attack
• Malnutrition
• Breathing problems

The causes of heart failure

Everything that damages the heart or makes it work too hard can lead to heart failure.

This includes health problems such as:

• Hidden blood vessels (coronary artery disease)
• Infection in the heart muscle (endocarditis)
• Beyond heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Heart problems with which you were born (congenital heart defects)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Kidney disease
• Low red blood cells (severe anemia)
• Overactive or underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism)
• Heart rate that is too fast, too slow or irregular (arrhythmia or dysrithmia)
• Certain viruses, such as the herpes virus or influenza

Lifestyle factors can also increase your risk of heart failure. Some of them are:

• Smoking
• Do not get enough exercise
• Obesity
• Eating food with lots of fat and cholesterol

In women – especially women who are postmenopausal – the most common causes of heart failure include:

• High blood pressure
• Heart valve disease
• Diabetes
• Coronary artery disease

Types of heart failure

Heart failure is grouped in Three main categories.

Left -sided heart failure happens when the left side of the heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood. There are two types of left -wing heart failure:

• Systolic failure (also known as heart failure with reduced ejective fraction, or HFREF), when the left lower room (ventricle) cannot become tighter
• Diastolic failure (also known as heart failure with preserved ejective fraction, or HFPEF), when the left lower room (ventricle) cannot relax as it should

Right -sided heart failure usually happens due to left -sided failures. If the left side of the heart cannot pump enough blood, pressure structure can damage the right side.

Congestive heart failure happens when the blood that returns to the heart through your veins returns, causing liquid gathering. This can lead to swelling (edema) throughout the body, including in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This can make it difficult to breathe.

Congestive heart failure can also prevent the kidneys from coming off sodium and water, which can make swelling even worse.

Drawing and symptoms of heart failure

For some people, symptoms of heart failure are slowly coming. For others they can suddenly be.

Symptoms of heart failure can be:

• Shortness of breath
• Or feel tired
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Swelling (edema) in the ankles, legs and feet
• Swelling in the belly
• Squeaky
• Cough that will not disappear
• Stomach complaints/loss of appetite/nausea
• Memory loss, disoriented, confusion
• Sudden weight gain or loss

If you experience one of these symptoms, you must view them with a healthcare provider (HCP).

Diagnost heart failure

Heart failure is diagnosed with the help of a combination of aids. Firstly, an HCP will ask about your medical history, including any health problems or lifestyle choices that can increase your risk of heart failure.

Your HCP will also ask how you feel. (It is a good idea to take a list of symptoms with you in seeing an HCP about your heart, along with a list of your medicines.)

Your HCP then gives you a physical exam and decides which tests to order. (They can also send you to a cardiologist, a doctor who focuses on the heart.)

Some tests Used to diagnose heart failure are:

• Blood tests to check for certain molecules that go up during heart failure

• Echocardiography (Echo) to measure how much blood is pumped out of your left ventricle (ejective fraction)

• Other imaging tests such as an X-ray of the breast, CT scan or MRI to see how well your heart works

• Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) to test the electrical activity of your heart

• Stress test to see how your heart deals with practice

Treat heart failure

Treatment of heart failure depends on what it causes and how serious it is. Heart failure cannot be cured, so the purpose of the treatment is to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Fortunately, the list of drugs Used to treat heart failure is long. Medications can be:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), who broaden the blood vessels to lower the workload of the heart

• Angiotensin receptor Nepilesin inhibitors (Arnis), the combination of two blood pressure drugs and can be used to broaden blood vessels, reduce blood pressure and reduce the tension on the heart

• Beta blockers, who prevent the heart from beating too fast or hard

• Diuretics (water pills), which help the body to get rid of extra liquid
• Sodium glucose Cotransporter -2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, who help reduce blood sugar levels and are often used as one of the first treatments in heart failure

• Aldosterone antagonists (also known as potassium -saving diuretics), which are water pills that help to lower high blood pressure and improve heart function in people with heart failure

People with heart failure often need more than one medication.

Devices that can be useful for people with heart failure include:

• Cardiale Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator (CRT-D)-A device that sends signals to the bottom rooms of the heart to synchronize your left and right ventures
• Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), a device that helps the heart to pump blood and is usually placed in the left left room

Surgery is not always necessary to manage the condition. However, there may be cases where certain operations, such as surgery to tidy up blocked arteries, can restore a heart valve defect or circulation blood flow to the heart. A heart transplant can be needed for people who cannot be helped by other treatments.

Living with heart failure

Changing your lifestyle can also help keep heart failure under control. It is a way in which you can be proactive about your treatment and small tweaks can make a big difference. Lifestyle changes can be:

• Retain a healthy weight

• Keep your blood sugar under control if you have diabetes
• Set aside time for rest, relaxation and stress management

• Strengthen your heart with physical activity

• Eating heart -healthy food such as vegetables and full grains

• Stop smoking
• Avoid or limit alcohol intake
• Protect yourself against flu, pneumonia and Covid with vaccines

A healthcare provider can also suggest cardiac rehabilitation, including counseling and training, heart-healthy living education and counseling to control stress.

Together with your HCP you can find out a treatment plan with which you can lead your best life with heart failure.

This educational source is made with support fromM Novartis.