While many may associate a heart attack with the heart "failing" to work, heart failure is a progressive disorder that results from damage to the heart most often caused by a heart attack.
Heart failure is the subject of today's Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call: from the Salt Lake area, 236-6061, or toll-free 1-800-925-8177. The lines are only operational during hotline hours.
Dr. Sara Weiss, a cardiologist with the heart failure clinic at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, and Kara Agresta, nurse practitioner with the heart failure treatment and prevention program at Intermountain Medical Center, will answer questions by phone. Questions may also be e-mailed to the two specialists at hotline@desnews.com from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. A sampling of those questions and answers will be posted online at our Web site next Friday.
Heart failure is a weakening of the heart, while a heart attack is "a totally different syndrome where there is not enough blood flow to the heart," Weiss said. "The heart is a muscle just like in your arm or leg. Blood flow is problem with a heart attack, but not all people that have heart attacks have weakening of the heart muscle."
Unfortunately, heart failure is a chronic disease without a cure. Treatment options include medications and heart assist devices, which can provide a good quality of life, "but it's not something that goes away," Weiss said. "Even if heart function improves and people get better with medications, they have to stay on them to maintain that benefit."
About 70 percent of heart failure diagnoses result from coronary artery disease and heart attacks. Other causes include long-standing high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, viruses, genetic factors and complications during pregnancy, Weiss said.
Exercise and physical activity don't directly decrease the chance of heart failure, but reduce the chance of coronary artery disease and heart attack that can lead to heart failure, she said. Physical activity "lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and releases hormones that help the heart," and can reduce demand on the heart through weight loss.
Agresta's program at IMC helps patients find the appropriate therapy, which includes medications like beta blockers and ace inhibitors to increase heart function and help manage symptoms. During regular visits to the clinic, patients are screened for possible participation in clinical trials of new drugs to treat heart failure.
The clinic's focus is treating patients with the maximum tolerated dose of medications to achieve the best result for management of symptoms and improvement of heart function. Patients are monitored for improvement and adjustments are made accordingly.
Some people believe heart failure is "an old person's disease, but it can happen at any age," Agresta said.
The hotline tackles a different health topic on the second Saturday of each month.
Heart failure is the topic of today's hotline. From the Salt Lake area, call 236-6061. Elsewhere, call 1-800-925-8177 from 10 a.m. to noon.
You also can e-mail hotline@desnews.com from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Call free hotline today
From the Salt Lake area, call 236-6061. Elsewhere, call 1-800-925-8177 from 10 a.m. to noon.
You also can e-mail hotline@desnews.com from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
E-MAIL: carrie@desnews.com