Heart failure

Heart failure: symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment in the best clinics

According to statistics, 25-30 million adults on the planet suffer from heart failure. Mostly it is the elderly. Recently, however, this condition is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people.

Heart failure is a syndrome that manifests itself as a functional disorder of the heart. As a result, the heart muscle cannot fully perform its pumping function. And this means that tissues and organs are not adequately supplied with blood and receive an insufficient amount of oxygen.

In the initial stages, the symptoms of heart failure appear during physical exertion. As the disease progresses, signs of the disease begin to occur when the person is at rest. In the later stages, due to insufficient work of the heart and lack of oxygen, other organs begin to suffer, concomitant diseases develop, and life-threatening situations arise. However, properly selected treatment of heart failure helps to compensate for irregularities in the functioning of the heart, improve blood flow through the vessels and significantly improve the quality of life.

Causes of heart failure

Acute or chronic heart failure may occur. In the chronic form, the most common causes include:

• hypertension;
• heart defects;
• coronary insufficiency;
• myocarditis;
• arrhythmias;
• diabetes;
• ischemia of the heart;
• asthma;
• cardiosclerosis.

The cause of acute heart failure can be the following:

• myocardial infarction;
• acute valvular insufficiency;
• pulmonary embolism;
• cardiac tamponade (accumulation of excess fluid in the pericardium).

Types of heart failure

Depending on which area of the heart is included in the pathological process, there are:

• Left sided heart failure. In this case, disturbances predominate in the left circulation.
• Right sided heart failure. With this form of the disease, the blood supply in the right circle of blood circulation is significantly worsened.
• General heart failure. Violations cover the entire cardiovascular system.

According to the severity, the following stages of chronic heart failure are distinguished:

• 1 stage. Symptoms appear only during significant physical exertion.
• 2 stage. Even with light physical exertion, the tissues feel an insufficient supply of blood and oxygen. Shortness of breath, tachycardia, cough and other symptoms of insufficiency occur.
• 3 stage. The symptoms are more severe. Shortness of breath usually persists even when the person is at rest.
• 4 stage. Against the background of disturbances in the work of the heart, the blood flow through the vessels is greatly impaired. There are irreversible changes in other organs and systems. Diseases of the kidneys, liver and other organs are diagnosed.

Symptoms and signs of heart failure

Typical signs of heart failure include:

• chronic fatigue and increased fatigue;
• shortness of breath, which in the initial stages occurs during active loads, and as the disease develops, it also appears at rest;
• swelling (primarily swelling of the legs);
• heart rhythm disturbances;
• trouble sleeping, trouble breathing while sleeping;
• dizziness,
• cough, dry or with little sputum,
• pain in the chest area.

As heart failure develops, other symptoms may occur: angina pectoris, cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes, ascites, various types of arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, problems in the functioning of the kidneys and liver. And if patients and doctors do not take the situation under control, then a fatal outcome is possible.

What can not be done with heart failure?

The condition calls for attention. It is recommended to change the lifestyle, adjust the diet. Diet correction involves the exclusion from the diet of too salty, smoked, fried foods, an increase in the proportion of vegetables on the menu.

There may be restrictions on some types of physical activity, while moderate physical activity, on the contrary, is recommended.

If symptoms of heart failure occur, do not self-medicate. In order to accurately determine the causes of abnormal heart function, to diagnose a specific disease and its stages, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor and undergo an examination.

Diagnosis of heart failure

Examination for an accurate diagnosis may include:

• ECG;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• laboratory researches;
• daily monitoring;
• load tests;
• CT or MRI of the heart;
• coronary angiography.

Diagnostic procedures may also be prescribed in order to determine the condition of other organs and identify causes and complications, for example, chest x-ray, ultrasound diagnostics of the kidneys, liver. After an accurate diagnosis is made, treatment is selected taking into account the characteristics of the state of the heart and other health parameters.

Heart failure treatment

Therapy may include various methods. Acute conditions require urgent medical attention. Chronic – involves the use of long-term complex therapy, which is aimed at slowing down the progression of heart disease and taking the condition under control. The doctor selects a treatment plan individually, taking into account the causes of the problem and the characteristics of the condition.

Conservative treatment for heart failure usually involves an integrated approach that includes medication, changes in physical activity and diet. In the medical treatment of heart failure, drugs to normalize blood pressure and heart rhythm, diuretics and other drugs may be prescribed, depending on what kind of disorders in the work of the heart are found.

In some cases, surgical treatment is recommended. For example, with stenosis of the coronary arteries, stenting or shunting is done, with rhythm disturbances, a pacemaker can be installed.

In cardiology, there is a constant search for innovative methods of treating diseases that lead to disorders in the functioning of the heart muscle and problems with the blood supply to organs. New drugs are being tested, methods are being developed that will be most effective and will significantly improve the quality of life of patients. You have the opportunity to contact the world’s leading cardiological clinics and use the most effective methods to restore health. Send us a consultation request so that MedTour coordinating doctors can help you choose the clinic and doctor that best suits your medical problem.

Modern methods of heart failure treatment

Cellular therapy is today considered one of the most advanced treatments for heart failure. The use of stem cells helps to start regeneration processes in the heart and has a number of other positive effects.

Studies have shown that patients with grade 2 heart failure, with high levels of inflammation, have a 79% reduction in heart attacks and strokes after stem cell treatment, and an 80% reduction in cardiovascular-related mortality.

Stem cells have a very valuable quality. They can transform into different types of cells, which is important for repairing damaged tissues. For the treatment of the cardiovascular system, they usually use their own mesenchymal stem cells, which are taken from bone marrow, cord blood or adipose tissue.

What can be achieved with stem cell therapy?

Experiments to study cell therapy are still ongoing. But the data obtained is already enough to state that the treatment of heart failure with stem cells is effective. Application of this method:

• promotes the regeneration of damaged heart tissue;
• stimulates the growth of blood vessels;
• reduces the level of inflammation;
• improves the pumping function of the heart.

All this leads to an improvement in the supply of blood and oxygen to tissues and has a beneficial effect on the general well-being of the patient.

To date, doctors are testing several ways to administer stem cells:

• Myocardial injections. The cells are injected directly into the heart muscle. This is usually done during surgery, such as bypass surgery.
• Intracoronary infusion. The drug is injected through a catheter into the coronary artery.
• Intravenous administration. The simplest and most commonly used method.

Regeneration cell therapy can be used as an independent method or as part of a complex treatment. The doctor calculates the number of stem cells needed for injection individually. The procedure can be carried out one-time, but more often the doctor prescribes it to be carried out several times at certain intervals.

Prevention of heart failure

The rules for the prevention of insufficient heart function are quite simple, and at the same time effective:

• balanced diet;
• maintaining weight within normal limits;
• sufficient level of physical activity;
• avoiding excessive alcohol consumption;
• regular health checks;
• timely treatment of infectious and chronic diseases.

The best specialists in the treatment of heart failure

Today you have the opportunity to receive specialized medical care in the best cardiological clinics around the world. Medical coordinators of MedTour will help you choose a clinic and undergo treatment from leading cardiologists, which will be most effective in your case and help you take the disease under control.

On the use of cell therapy for the treatment of the heart, you can consult online with Andriy Kovalchuk, PhD, specialist in regenerative medicine, biotechnologist, surgeon.

Frequently asked questions

Why does shortness of breath occur in heart failure?

Shortness of breath is one of the early symptoms of insufficient heart function. It occurs due to stagnation and accumulation of fluid in the lungs. When the blood flow through the vessels worsens, it begins to stagnate in the lungs, which leads to a deterioration in gas exchange. To reduce shortness of breath, you need to treat the underlying disease, which is the cause of abnormalities in the work of the heart.

Can the development of heart failure stop?

Modern methods of treatment allow in most cases to stop the progression of the pathology and compensate for violations in the work of the heart. To find the right treatment that will allow you to take control of the disease and improve your well-being, contact specialized cardiology clinics and choose qualified doctors.

How is cell therapy treated?

First, stem cells are harvested. Then they are processed in a special way and grown to the right amount. After that, the resulting drug is injected into the patient’s body, most often into the blood intravenously. The doctor determines the dosage and number of injections individually, taking into account the characteristics of the disease.

Published: 28.04.2023

Updated: 08.06.2024

Medical author, Medical editor:

Natalia Segen

Medical author, Medical editor:

Olena Kursabaieva

Information on this webpage verified by the medical expert

Medical Doctor, oncologist, PHD student

Kateryna Maliarchuk