A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog about Tim Russert’s death from a heart attack. What are the odds that another celebrity would die of heart failure about a week later? Tim Russert died of coronary thrombosis, which is the rupture of a cholesterol plaque in an artery. George Carlin was a comedian/actor who burned the candle at both ends. He had a heart attack at the age of 41, which may have been precipitated by his admitted drug use. On June 22, the 71 year-old went to the hospital with chest pain and passed away from heart failure. I wanted to know more – What is heart failure?
I talked to Dr. Amy Eversole, Cardiologist at Stuart Cardiology; she explained that there are different types of heart failures:
Systolic heart failure is when the heart is not contracting well; therefore, the heart cannot pump with the necessary force to push enough blood into circulation. This is the most common type of heart failure.
Diastolic heart failure is when the muscle of the heart is very thick and does not relax well, preventing blood from filling the heart.
Heart failure has many causes; it can be the last stage of heart diseases or circulation diseases. The weak pump action of the heart means that less blood is sent to the kidneys; they respond by retaining water and salt which increases fluid buildup in the body and causes widespread damage. The most common causes of heart failure are hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary artery disease.
Other common causes of heart failure are:
Damage after a heart attack
Valvular heart disease
Myocarditis
Diabetes
Family history of heart disease
Obesity
Congenital heart disease
Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
Excess alcohol consumption
A diet high in salt
The signs and symptoms of heart failure are:
Shortness of breath or exertion occurring at rest
Swelling in legs and abdomen
Difficulty sleeping
Palpitations
Decreased urine production
Nausea and vomiting
People who survive heart failure need to be followed closely by a physician or cardiologist. They usually have to control their blood pressure through medication such as ACE inhibitors, diuretics, digoxin and beta blockers to improve blood circulation and control body fluid.
Cardiologists recommend the following:
Eliminate smoking and alcohol consumption as both decrease the pumping efficiency of the heart
Avoid foods high in salt and restrict your fluid intake
One of the most important things you can do for the health of your heart is to EXERCISE!
-- Sophie Sawicki
Marketing Representative
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