Prevention and treatment of heart failure in the elderly

Heart failure is a common disease in the elderly. This is the final complication of all hypertensive diseases and other systemic diseases…

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle cannot meet the needs of the circulatory system. Depending on the condition of each disease, the heart can fail on one side first, leading to total heart failure, or total heart failure from the beginning.

Treating the cause also contributes quite positively to reducing rapid heart failure.

Signs of disease

Heart failure can be chronic, or it can appear suddenly, which is called acute heart failure.

In chronic heart failure, shortness of breath may occur with exertion or lying down. Common symptoms include: fatigue, leg swelling, palpitations, rapid heartbeat; decreased ability to exercise; weight gain due to fluid retention.

For acute heart failure, symptoms are similar to chronic heart failure, however, the progression is sudden and severe; sudden difficulty breathing, rapid breathing; palpitations, rapid heart rate; chest pain if acute heart failure is due to myocardial infarction.

Causes of heart failure

According to Prof. Dr. Pham Gia Khai - Chairman of the Vietnam Cardiovascular Association, a leading expert in cardiovascular disease, "Heart failure is a major disease in the elderly. Because when people get older, the metabolic organs do not function well, do not synthesize well, leading to a lot of catabolism, so it is difficult to avoid circulatory aging diseases." In particular, when people get older, brain cells gradually die and are not restored, in addition, health and muscles are poor, leading to aging of the arteries, veins and heart. In particular, one of the common aging in the elderly is the coronary artery, the artery that nourishes the heart muscle is narrowed, leading to the heart muscle not contracting well, causing the patient to exert himself, have difficulty breathing, and chest tightness when exercising vigorously.

The main causes of heart failure are: Untreated high blood pressure; Ischemic cardiomyopathy; Myocardial infarction; Heart valve disease (mitral valve stenosis, regurgitation, aortic valve stenosis); Congenital heart disease not corrected by surgery (pulmonary valve stenosis, patent ductus arteriosus, etc.); Myocarditis; Untreated hyperthyroidism; Chronic renal failure; Prolonged arrhythmias, etc.

In addition to the above heart diseases, some diseases of the blood vessels, mainly of the arteries, can also be the cause of heart failure. In particular, untreated high blood pressure and some diseases of the blood vessels can be the causes of heart failure.

Finally, some systemic diseases are also the cause of heart failure, typically heart failure due to overactive thyroid (thyrotoxicosis) or underactive (hypothyroidism), heart failure due to anemia. Some poisoning or malnutrition, electrolyte disorders, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, dyslipidemia, arrhythmia are sometimes the cause of heart failure.

In the remaining 40%, no specific cause can be found for heart failure.

Diagnosis and treatment of disease

According to Professor Pham Gia Khai: “Usually, heart failure patients seek medical attention when they are struggling and have difficulty breathing. This is the first sign of the disease. But to be sure, the patient needs to be examined specifically. First is a clinical examination, then chemical and blood tests will be performed. Next is an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Only after going through all these steps can we accurately conclude whether the patient has heart failure or not?”

After the conclusion, if the patient has heart failure, it is also possible to immediately know the level of heart failure. In case of level 1 heart failure (ie the patient exerts himself but is fine); level 2 heart failure (the patient exerts himself and has difficulty breathing). For example, the patient walks about 2 to 3 blocks, each block is about 50m, walking fast, the patient feels chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Or when working too hard, feeling short of breath.

Stage 3 heart failure is when the patient does light work but feels short of breath. It is as simple as the patient just needs to carry a basin of water, but it causes a feeling of shortness of breath. Stage 4 heart failure is when the patient just sits, does nothing else but still feels short of breath.

Normally, if heart failure is detected at level 1, it is very good to prevent the disease. In case of heart failure at level 2, it is necessary to pay attention to treat the disease. In the treatment of heart failure, it is necessary to treat the general symptoms and treat the cause. In emergency cases, it is necessary to quickly treat the symptoms of heart failure first with cardiac support drugs, diuretics, etc.

Treating the cause also contributes quite positively to reducing rapid heart failure. The main treatable causes are left ventricular dysfunction due to ischemia, thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, heart valve damage, arrhythmias, acute myocarditis, left ventricular hypertrophy due to hypertension...

In addition, diet, lifestyle and exercise also play an important role in the treatment of the disease. Patients need to limit salty foods and drink less water to avoid edema and water retention.

People with heart failure should not eat a lot at one meal, but should divide their meals into smaller portions. People with severe heart failure should limit physical activity and rest in bed if necessary. Then return to activity slowly under close supervision of a doctor.

Currently, in the world, patients with severe heart failure are treated by heart transplant. However, heart transplants are only performed in a few major centers around the world, and the success rate is also high. However, due to the high cost and the limited number of heart donors, the number of patients who receive heart transplant surgery is quite rare.

Professor Pham Gia Khai advises that to have a balanced life and prevent diseases, each of us should live scientifically. Each person needs to know how to prevent diseases properly, have reasonable entertainment, know how to exercise and work properly, and immerse themselves in nature so that life will be more meaningful and of better quality.

Things to note for heart failure

- Do not smoke cigarettes or tobacco

- Check weight daily

-Low salt diet

-Limit fat and cholesterol

-Limit alcohol and fluids: Patients with heart failure should not drink alcohol. Alcohol can interact with heart failure medications, reducing the heart's ability to contract, causing heart rhythm disturbances.

- Moderate activity maintains ideal weight and reduces the demands on the heart muscle. Before exercising, consult your doctor about exercise regimen and cardiovascular rehabilitation programs./.

According to VOV