Heart attack, heart disease, cardiac arrest. Understanding the differences between cardiovascular conditions can get confusing. And what about heart failure, which affects approximately 5.7 million Americans? "Heart failure occurs when the muscles of the heart essentially die, or weaken,” says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, the director of women’s heart health at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and a national spokesperson for the Go Red for Women campaign. "As heart function weakens, the blood doesn’t push forward through the body as easily."
There's more than one type of heart failure
Heart failure can affect the left ventricle, right ventricle, or both. The most common form is systolic heart failure, when the heart muscle’s function is diminished and, as a result, blood doesn’t flow as readily throughout the body. Another form of heart failure, called diastolic heart failure, occurs when the heart experiences relaxation impairment and is unable to fill with blood properly due to stiffening of the muscle. "Diastolic heart failure is usually seen in older patients with hypertension and diabetes, especially in older females," says Biykem Bozkurt, MD, professor of cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and chair of the American College of Cardiology Heart Failure and Transplant Council.
Certain conditions may signal danger ahead
Heart failure tends to follow other conditions. Specifically, people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or heart attacks are more likely to also experience heart failure down the line. Why? "Over time, having these diseases can lead to weakening of the heart muscle," explains Dr. Steinbaum.
Pinpointing symptoms isn’t always easy
Determining whether certain symptoms you're experiencing are indeed related to your heart health can be challenging. Still, when the heart is unable to meet the demands of the body, typical symptoms would include shortness of breath, swelling of the extremities (think: feet, ankles, and legs), chronic coughing, fatigue, a diminished appetite, or a quickened heart rate.
Diagnoses are largely symptom-based
According to the American Heart Association, these symptoms on their own usually aren’t cause for concern (we’ve definitely all felt overtired before). But if you consistently experience a combination of one or more of the potential red flags, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor and make sure they aren’t cause for cardiovascular concern.
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