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.
It's more likely to happen as you age, but anyone can develop heart failure. Still, if you have heart failure, you can live a full and active life with the right medical treatment and lifestyle.
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.
When the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to meet the body's energy needs, a general feeling of tiredness or fatigue sets in. A = Activity limitation. People with heart failure are often unable to do their normal activities because they become easily tired and short of breath.
Your lifestyle can increase your risk for heart disease. Eating a diet high in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol has been linked to heart disease and related conditions, such as atherosclerosis. Also, too much salt (sodium) in the diet can raise 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.
About 6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure.
People have different triggers. But common ones include eating too much salt, missing a dose of medicine, and exercising too hard. Keep the same schedule. As much as you can, keep your diet, exercise, and medicine schedules the same every day.
Stress can cause a heart attack, sudden cardiac death, heart failure, or arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) in persons who may not even know they have heart disease.
Tests for heart failure
Tests you may have to diagnose heart failure include: blood tests – to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems.
... a tired feeling all the time and difficulty with everyday activities, such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking. You may also feel sleepy after eating, feel weak in the legs when walking and get short of breath while being active.
Congestive heart failure affects people of all ages, from children and young adults to the middle-aged and the elderly. Almost 1.4 million persons with CHF are under 60 years of age. CHF is present in 2 percent of persons age 40 to 59. More than 5 percent of persons age 60 to 69 have CHF.
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.
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.
Can heart failure improve with exercise? It's important to remember that exercise will not improve your ejection fraction (the percentage of blood your heart can push forward with each pump). However, it can help to improve the strength and efficiency of the rest of your body.
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs in your body. Heart failure is a serious condition, but it does not mean that the heart has stopped beating. Although it can be a severe disease, heart failure is not a death sentence, and treatment is now better than ever.
The most common causes of heart failure are heart attack and coronary heart disease, but there are numerous other causes. Many people who have heart failure live with other long-term conditions, such as lung disease or diabetes.
In most cases, light to moderate exercise isn't going to make your condition worse. In fact, it's not only safe, it's the best medicine, says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, an American Heart Association Go Red for Women volunteer medical expert and cardiologist in New York City.
Symptoms of heart failure
breathlessness after activity or at rest. feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting. feeling lightheaded or fainting. swollen ankles and legs.
Stage I is considered “pre-heart failure.” High-risk individuals include patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. A family history of alcohol abuse, rheumatic fever, cardiotoxic drug therapy, or cardiomyopathy can increase your risk.
“Getting diagnosed with heart failure usually starts when you notice symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid or irregular heartbeat or swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or abdomen,” says Dr. Piña.