Weight gain due to heart failure

Weight gain due to heart failure

09/19/2014

A steady weight gain does not necessarily have to be the result of well-intentioned meals. Often it is the result of acute heart disease. This hint was given by the German Heart Foundation. The cardiologists provide guidance on how to detect the first signs of heart problems.

Coronary heart disease, caused by a heart attack or high blood pressure, can weaken the heart muscle. This can lead to a buildup of water in the body, which results in weight gain. „This should be considered as a serious problem and needs medical clarification“.

Heart muscle weakness causes water retention in the body
The water settles because the weakened heart muscle is the blood returning to the heart
no longer pumping off enough. A backwater forms in front of the heart, which can reach back into the abdominal area or the feet. The pressure in the resident small veins is increased, which is why more fluid from the blood is pressed into the tissue located there. This results in weight-increasing edema, as the visible water deposits are also called.

Daily weighing can detect water retention
The German Heart Foundation recommends that all patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency weigh themselves daily at the same time. The best thing is to weigh after the morning toilet to better bypass the natural body fluctuations. Care should also be taken that the balance is checked regularly and has a fixed place. If heart failure is actually diagnosed, the medication should be checked and adjusted if necessary. To accurately detect water retention of cardiac output, an ultrasound examination (echocardiography) of the heart is recommended. In this painless examination, no harmful X-rays are used. However, appointments for a cardiologist's echocardiography often have a very long wait. (Ag)