Topic heart failure in the heart week

Nationwide Herzwoche explains actions and campaigns about heart failure

15/11/2013

The focus of this year's Herzwoche was on a disease in which patients can fall ill at a young age: heart failure. Doctors talk about heart failure - the medical term - when the pumping performance wears off and the heart stops beating as in a healthy state. Patients often do not notice the disease for a long time. Signs include a physical decline in performance such as climbing stairs or doing sports. Many clinics are currently informing about heart disease. The cardiology department of the St. Antonius Hospital also participates in an information event at the Klever Stadthalle.

In most cases, poor pump performance and loss of elasticity are the cause of heart failure
This beats 114,000 times a day with a pumping capacity of 17,000 liters of blood. „With a heart failure, the heart can not bring this power“, explains Professor Stefan Schuster, chief physician of Klever Cardiology in the St. Antonius Hospital. As the cardiologist further reports, heart failure is essentially due to two causes. At a „pump weakness“ the heart no longer has enough power to pump the blood into the organs. At the „loss of elasticity“ „If there is too little blood in the heart and too little blood leaves the heart“, says Schuster.

Risk factors for heart failure include physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, nicotine consumption, high blood pressure and diabetes. „Unfortunately, heart failure is still misinterpreted by patients. A drop in performance, for example, when climbing stairs is an indication, but also shortness of breath or swollen legs. Anyone who notices these symptoms should go to the family doctor and be examined“, advises the physician.

To prevent heart failure with a healthy lifestyle
Among the healthy nutritional concepts that are particularly suitable for heart patients, the Mediterranean diet is one. This was the result of a research team led by Demosthenes Panagiotakos of the Harokopio University in Athens as part of a comprehensive meta-study in 2011. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, Whole grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, low-fat meat and fish, accompanied by a little olive oil, therefore have a positive effect on the so-called metabolic syndrome, which is considered to be the main risk factor for coronary heart disease.

In case of suspected heart attack call the emergency doctor
However, in about 20 percent of patients, heart failure occurs as a result of infection. A severe cold or flu can cause the heart muscle to become inflamed and sustainably damaged. Often, young people are already affected. „But that happens unnoticed. That does not hurt. Patients who can not recover properly even three weeks after the infection should be examined“, Schuster explains.

Generally applies: „The sooner the patients come to us, the better we can help.“ So every single minute counts in the suspected heart attack and can decide about life and death. „Unfortunately, it is still the case that patients are far too late with us. In heart attacks, it is important to prevent scarring of the heart muscle as much as possible. For the typical symptoms such as pain in the left arm, upper abdomen, in the chest, in panic by the strong chest pain immediately choose the 112, even on weekends and at night. And also request an emergency doctor directly“, advises the cardiologist. Many patients would simply wait too long. „And then we can not do much anymore.“

Klever Hospital organizes information evening on the topic of heart failure
So far, 369 patients have been diagnosed at the Klever Hospital this year and 1,030 have been diagnosed with secondary diagnosis „heart failure“ treated. „And there are more and more“, reports Schuster.

For Wednesday, November 27th, from 6.30 pm to 8 pm, an information event under the direction of Schuster is planned in the Klever Stadthalle. The cardiologist will be over „Diagnosis and treatment of heart failure“ to report. Senior physician Birgit Heitzer talks about „Cause and examination procedure“. In the subsequent discussion, stakeholders and interested parties can participate and ask questions. (Ag)