Patients with heart failure are at risk of dying suddenly so it's important to have conversations early about their wishes for their care. An experienced health professional who knows the patient well should talk to them and the people important to them about their care towards the end of their life.
Patients are considered to be in the terminal end stage of heart disease when they have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make a clinical determination of congestive heart failure life expectancy.
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.
Heart failure is a serious long-term condition that will usually continue to get slowly worse over time. It can severely limit the activities you're able to do and is often eventually fatal.
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.
In men, this typically starts around age 45, and in women, around age 55.
How Your Heart Changes with Age. People age 65 and older are much more likely than younger people to suffer a heart attack, to have a stroke, or to develop coronary heart disease (commonly called heart disease) and heart failure.
Palliative (pronounced “pal-lee-uh-tiv”) care is specialized medical care for people facing a serious illness like CHF. The goal is to improve quality of life for both you and your family. You can have palliative care at any age and at any stage of your illness. You can also have it together with curative treatment.
It is possible to lead a normal life, even if you have Heart Failure. Understanding and taking control of Heart Failure is the key to success. Your doctor and healthcare providers will provide guidelines and a treatment plan. It is your responsibility to follow the treatment plan and manage your Heart Failure.
Patients with congestive heart failure have a high incidence of sudden cardiac death that is attributed to ventricular arrhythmias.
Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of heart failure. The disease results from the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. The deposits narrow the arteries. This reduces blood flow and can lead to heart attack.
If you wake up feeling not refreshed, you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to curtail your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs your heart failure isn't being managed as well as it could be, Dr. Freeman says.
While most often associated with oncology, palliative care is appropriate for any patient in the advanced stages of illness, including patients with heart failure (HF).
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
Chronic Cough & Wheezing: Just like with the shortness of breath, a chronic cough becomes more prominent in the final months and weeks of congestive heart failure. The cough is often times accompanied by some wheezing and white or pink-colored mucus.
As the heart weakens, its pumping action also weakens. Blood and body fluids back up in the lungs, abdomen and/or feet and ankles. This excess fluid can make it difficult to breathe. You might also notice a feeling of fullness in the abdomen or swelling in the legs and ankles.
Getting the support you need
It's common for people with heart failure to have good and bad days. “Sometimes it's just harder to do things; the energy isn't there,” says Anne. “On a bad day, I can be very breathless, my legs can swell up and I can't walk much.”
Treatment may include a low-sodium diet (along with other treatments and medications for high blood pressure), not drinking alcohol, increasing exercise, not smoking, treating high cholesterol, and taking medications for coronary artery disease, diabetes, or other vascular or cardiac conditions, per the Cleveland ...
Medicines to treat heart failure include: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These drugs relax blood vessels to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and decrease the strain on the heart. Examples include enalapril (Vasotec, Epaned), lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis) and captopril.
talk to them about how they're feeling. reassure them that you're there. encourage them to talk to others about their feelings and worries. encourage and support your loved one to be as independent as possible.
Over time, heart failure may progress to the point where medications, ventricular assist devices, and other treatment options, aside from a heart transplant, are no longer feasible. When this occurs, it means the person is experiencing the end stage of heart failure.
Heart failure can be acute, like after a heart attack, or it may develop over time, for example because of permanently high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. Depending on how severe heart failure is, it may go unnoticed, only cause minor symptoms, or really affect your physical fitness.
Heart failure directly accounts for about 8.5% of all heart disease deaths in the United States. And, by some estimates heart failure actually contributes to about 36% of all cardiovascular disease deaths. One study notes that heart failure is mentioned in one in eight death certificates.
People 65 years or older have a higher risk of heart failure. Older adults are also more likely to have other health conditions that cause heart failure. Family history of heart failure makes your risk of heart failure higher. Genetics may also play a role.