Medications for heart failure, plus additional methods of treatment
Living with Heart Failure: A Guide to Managing the Condition
Heart failure is a condition that affects many people worldwide, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood effectively throughout the body. While medication plays a crucial role in managing heart failure, lifestyle changes can significantly improve a person's quality of life.
Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is an essential step in managing heart failure. Tobacco damages blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and worsens heart function, increasing the risk of heart failure episodes.
Adopt a Heart-Healthy Diet
Diet plays a vital role in heart health. A heart-healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diets, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats, while reducing sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars. Lowering sodium intake helps prevent fluid retention and reduce blood pressure, easing heart strain.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial. Obesity increases the heart's workload and raises the risk of diabetes and hypertension, which further worsen heart failure. Conversely, very low body weight can also be risky, so staying within a healthy weight range is important.
Engage in Regular Physical Activity
Regular exercise is advised to strengthen heart muscle and prevent worsening symptoms. A goal of about 30 minutes of moderate exercise (e.g., walking) most days per week is suggested, with a gradual increase if starting from inactivity.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress can elevate heart rate and blood pressure, negatively affecting heart function. Managing stress using techniques such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help alleviate these effects.
Stay Consistent with Your Prescribed Medication and Treatment Plan
Medication and treatment plans are crucial in managing heart failure. It's essential to stay consistent with these, integrating lifestyle changes as complementary measures monitored by healthcare providers.
These lifestyle modifications work together with medication to improve heart health, reduce symptoms, and lower the risk of acute exacerbations in heart failure patients.
Medications for Heart Failure
Some medications for heart failure include renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (ACE inhibitors and ARBs), beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and diuretics. Each of these medications has a unique role in managing heart failure symptoms and improving heart function.
Side Effects of Medications
While these medications can be lifesaving, they can also have side effects. Common side effects of ivabradine include high blood pressure, fainting, low blood pressure, rash, and vision side effects. ARBs can cause a cough, low blood pressure, and worsen symptoms of bilateral renal stenosis. Beta-blockers can have a wide range of side effects including dizziness, low blood pressure, fatigue, nausea, constipation, nightmares, and increased risk of heart block. Diuretics can change a person's metabolism, increasing the risk of developing pancreatitis.
Treatment Options
There is no single combination of medications that works for everyone. People with heart failure can discuss treatment options, side effects, and treatment goals with a cardiologist. In many cases, a different medication may help if a person experiences unpleasant side effects or worsening symptoms.
The Outlook for Heart Failure
The outlook for heart failure varies from person to person, depending on access to treatment, overall health, and lifestyle. The survival rates after diagnosis in 55,959 people aged 45 and over living in the United Kingdom were 80.8% at 1 year, 48.2% at 5 years, and 26.2% at 10 years.
References
- Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA)
- American Heart Association (AHA)
- Mayo Clinic
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- British Heart Foundation (BHF)
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