4
F
or the human heart, 24/7 is the standard
job description. Subpar performance
should be unacceptable when it comes to
the heart’s work habits, but for about 5.7 million
Americans living with heart failure, it’s a round-
the-clock reality.
Heart failure is a form of heart disease that means
the heart isn’t working as well as it should. A
healthy heart pumps about 100,000 times a day, de-
livering blood throughout the body. An unhealthy
heart still pumps, but it may not pump enough
blood or with enough force to send a sucient
supply to all of the body’s tissues and organs.
Signs of trouble
People with heart failure often complain of:
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Feeling tired or short of breath.
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Trouble sleeping.
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Abdominal pain and loss of appetite.
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Unexplained weight gain or swollen legs and
ankles.
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Frequent dry cough.
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
Your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask
about your symptoms. He or she may look at your
heart with x-ray, echocardiogram or other imaging
tests.
Ticker TLC
If you are diagnosed with heart failure, your doctor
will develop a treatment plan for you. It is very im-
portant that you follow the plan and communicate
with your doctor regularly, especially early on.
Your treatment may include medications such as
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
and beta-blockers, which reduce blood pressure and
ease the strain on your heart. Your doctor may set
up a diet-and-exercise plan that will help strengthen
your heart and improve your overall health.
When a faulty heart valve or blocked artery causes
your heart to underperform, surgical and nonsurgi-
cal options—such as heart valve replacement, coro-
nary bypass or angioplasty—may be recommended.
Take control
Certain risk factors for heart disease can’t be
avoided, such as being over age 65, male or African
American or having a family history of heart disease.
TAKE HEART
AND MAKE IT HEALTHY
But according to the American Heart Associa-
tion, three basic lifestyle choices can help you
defend against heart disease:
Avoid tobacco.
If you smoke, quit. If there’s a
smoker in your home, help him or her to quit.
Smoking doubles your risk of developing heart
disease.
Exercise regularly.
Any exercise is better than
none, and just 30 minutes a day on most days
will help lower your risk. People with moderate
tness levels are much less likely to die early
from heart problems than those with poor t-
ness levels.
Eat healthfully.
e foods we eat can contribute
to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabe-
tes and weight gain—all major risk factors for
heart disease. Build your diet around vegetables,
fruits and whole grains, and cut back on salt.
If you already have heart disease or haven’t ex-
ercised in a while, ask your doctor about creat-
ing a diet-and-exercise plan that’s best for you.
Source: American Heart Association
Work schedule: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
After a heart attack:
Take a load off your heart
with beta-blockers
Beta-blockers may help prevent a repeat heart
attack. These medications make your heart
beat slower. When the heart doesn’t need
to work as hard, blood pressure lowers and
heart attack risk decreases. Beta-blockers can
also relieve chest pain and discomfort and are
used to treat irregular heartbeats.