Heart Failure

Elderly with chronic kidney disease face higher coronary heart disease, heart failure, or stroke risk. You may not necessarily think about the link between the kidneys and the heart, but the two actually share many risk factors which can bring on damage or illness. The main role of the heart is to pump out oxygenated ...click here to read more

Heart failure after the first heart attack may raise the risk of cancer. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened as a result of damage and its functionality becomes limited. If the heart is unable to pump enough blood to other areas of the body, the risk of death, as well ...click here to read more

Smoking causes the heart wall to thicken, which contributes to heart failure. When the walls of the heart become thick, the heart’s ability to properly pump out blood reduces. Over time, this leads to heart damage and, essentially, heart failure. The researchers looked at the hearts of 4,580 Americans who did not have any obvious ...click here to read more

Obstructive sleep apnea may increase heart failure and mortality in women. Risk factors for both sleep apnea and heart failure do differ between men and women, and it has been unclear whether the effects of sleep apnea on cardiovascular health were the same for both sexes. To establish any differences, researchers evaluated the links among ...click here to read more

Chronic kidney disease patients can lower heart failure risks with cardiac resynchronization therapy. Outcomes were greater for chronic kidney disease patients who received cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator, compared to those who only received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator is implanted in the chest and detects abnormal heart rhythms, which could potentially ...click here to read more

Heart failure death risk is reduced with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Research has found that those with implanted CRT can have a longer lifespan than those who receive traditional implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The first study looked at CRT-D (CRT with defibrillator) in mildly symptomatic patients. The researchers found that patients who had CRT-D implanted ...click here to read more

Cardiac sarcoidosis raises arrhythmia and heart failure risk. Only a small number of people are affected by cardiac sarcoidosis, an inflammatory condition that can affect other organs as well. Cardiac sarcoidosis specifically targets the white blood cells in the heart tissue. These blood cells form clusters, which can then interfere with the heart’s electrical system, ...click here to read more

Treatment of sleep apnea may reduce six-month readmission of heart failure patients. First author Sunhil Sharma said, “Our research showed that early recognition and treatment of patients hospitalized with decompensated congestive heart failure is associated with a reduction in readmissions, for patients who use their positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on a regular basis. Importantly, ...click here to read more

A new study has found a link between fatty liver and heart failure in obese individuals. The findings stress the importance of dietary intervention in those who are obese. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease affecting 70 to 90 percent of obese individuals or diabetics, and 30 percent of the general ...click here to read more

Although a healthy diet and exercise is essential for overall heart health in all of us, heart failure patients particularly benefit from these lifestyle choices when it comes to improving heart function. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is becoming more and more common and affects those who are overweight or obese. A person’s ...click here to read more

For years, even decades, we have been told to cut out or minimize our salt intake. The reasoning behind the theory was that too much salt can lead to heart problems, especially if you have high blood pressure. Furthermore, we were consuming excessive amounts of salt everyday as part of our typical Western diet. Most ...click here to read more

A new study suggests following seven healthy habits could lower your risk of heart failure. Senior study author, Vanessa Xanthakis, Ph.D., said, “Even though there is awareness about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, many people don’t act on those messages.” The study consisted of 3,200 Americans with an average age of 59. Participants were ...click here to read more

Amyloidosis (excess amyloid protein) can increase the risk of kidney failure and heart failure. Amyloid is an abnormal protein that when it builds up in organs and tissues it can affect how they function and look which can lead to serious health consequences – primarily amyloidosis which can be life-threatening to organs. Amyloid is produced ...click here to read more

Common heart failure drugs, known as nitrates, are widely prescribed for heart failure patients, but research suggests they may do more harm than good. The findings revealed that nitrates don’t improve quality of life or boost daily activity levels as they are intended. Nitrates are prescribed to treat chest pains so that patients can begin ...click here to read more