Do all old people have congestive heart failure?
More than 10% of very elderly patients have CHF.
More than 5 percent of persons age 60 to 69 have CHF. CHF annual incidence approaches 10 per 1,000 population after 65 years of age. The incidence of CHF is equally frequent in men and women, and African-Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop heart failure than Caucasians.
In a healthy heart, the ejection fraction is 50% or higher — meaning that more than half of the blood that fills the ventricle is pumped out with each beat. But heart failure can occur even with a normal ejection fraction. This happens if the heart muscle becomes stiff from conditions such as high blood pressure.
In general, more than half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive for 5 years. About 35% will survive for 10 years. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic, progressive condition that affects the heart's ability to pump blood around the body.
As a clinical condition, yes, heart disease cannot be completely eliminated for patients of any age. However, we have treatments that can make it better. It's a progressive illness, and it's not something we can cure, but we can slow it down. It can progress so slowly so it doesn't seem like it's progressing at all.
One study says that people with heart failure have a life span 10 years shorter than those who don't have heart failure. Another study showed that the survival rates of people with chronic heart failure were 80% to 90% for one year, but that dropped to 50% to 60% for year five and down to 30% for 10 years.
The most common cause of congestive heart failure is coronary artery disease. Risk factors for coronary artery disease include: high levels of cholesterol and/or triglyceride in the blood. high blood pressure.
What are the symptoms of mild congestive heart failure? The patient may experience bouts of fluid retention and weight gain, shortness of breath on exertion, and decreased exercise tolerance. Some patients may have significant problems with swelling of their legs.
Heart failure often refers to early-stage weakening of the heart without congestion. As the damage to the heart progresses, it causes fluid to build up in the feet, arms, lungs, and other organs, which is referred to as congestion, throughout the body. This stage of heart failure is called CHF.
Although heart failure is a serious condition that progressively gets worse over time, certain cases can be reversed with treatment. Even when the heart muscle is impaired, there are a number of treatments that can relieve symptoms and stop or slow the gradual worsening of the condition.
Can congestive heart failure disappear?
It is possible to reverse congestive heart failure. Once the condition of your heart is assessed, the physician will take further steps to treat your congestive heart failure and start appropriate treatment.
If you have heart failure, you may not have any symptoms, or the symptoms may range from mild to severe. Symptoms can be constant or can come and go. Heart failure symptoms are related to the changes that occur to your heart and body, and the severity depends on how weak your heart is.
CHF is NOT a death sentence
While serious, congestive heart failure diagnosis doesn't mean your life is over. It's important to understand how manageable it is. By taking the right steps, patients can learn to live a happy and fulfilling life. Will there be necessary lifestyle changes?
Understanding and taking control of heart failure is the key to your success. It is possible to lead a normal life, even if you have Heart Failure. People who understand their condition make better decisions, live a longer life and feel better.
Exercise and Manage Your Weight
Ensure that you get plenty of rest throughout the day. Minimize your stress level when possible. Rapid weight gain may be a sign that you are retaining fluid, so weighing yourself daily is very important to managing CHF.
In general, about half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive 5 years. About 30% will survive for 10 years. In patients who receive a heart transplant, about 21% of patients are alive 20 years later.
Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
- Shortness of Breath. If your loved one has CHF, they may experience shortness of breath. ...
- Fatigue. ...
- Edema (Swelling, in the Feet, Ankles, and Legs) ...
- Arrhythmia (Irregular Heartbeat) ...
- Persistent Cough. ...
- Wheezing. ...
- Changes in Urination. ...
- Swelling of the Abdomen.
Surgery. Medicines are the main treatment for heart failure, but for some people surgery may help. Operations that can help with heart failure include: heart valve surgery.
Systolic CHF - Systolic CHF occurs when the left ventricle is unable to contract with enough force to circulate blood properly. Diastolic CHF - Diastolic CHF occurs when the heart muscle becomes stiff.
Do most elderly people have heart failure?
Heart failure is most common in elderly patients but can also happen at any age.
The most common causes of HF in the elderly are coronary atherosclerotic disease and arterial hypertension, which often coexist.
Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35–64) are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life.
The most common cause of congestive heart failure is coronary artery disease. Risk factors for coronary artery disease include: high levels of cholesterol and/or triglyceride in the blood. high blood pressure.
A report averaging several smaller studies found that people under age 65 generally had a 5-year survival rate of 78.8 percent following CHF diagnosis. The same report found that people over age 75 had an average 5-year survival rate of 49.5 percent following diagnosis.
Heart failure is a long-term condition that tends to get gradually worse over time. It cannot usually be cured, but the symptoms can often be controlled for many years.
Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year. 4. The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
| Stage | Main symptoms |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | You don't experience any symptoms during typical physical activity. |
| Class 2 | You're likely comfortable at rest, but normal physical activity may cause fatigue, palpitations, and shortness of breath. |
- Shortness of breath.
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
- Weight gain of three or more pounds in one day.
- Weight gain of five pounds in one week.
- Unusual swelling in the legs, feet, hands, or abdomen.
- A persistent cough or chest congestion (the cough may be dry or hacking)
If you have heart failure, you may not have any symptoms, or the symptoms may range from mild to severe. Symptoms can be constant or can come and go. Heart failure symptoms are related to the changes that occur to your heart and body, and the severity depends on how weak your heart is.
What is the most common cause of congestive heart failure?
Conditions that overwork the heart. Conditions including high blood pressure, valve disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or heart defects present at birth can all cause heart failure. In addition, heart failure can happen when several diseases or conditions are present at once.
Heart failure often refers to early-stage weakening of the heart without congestion. As the damage to the heart progresses, it causes fluid to build up in the feet, arms, lungs, and other organs, which is referred to as congestion, throughout the body. This stage of heart failure is called CHF.