About heart failure
Heart failure is a general term and may develop as a complication of various conditions. Conditions that cause heart failure affect the ability of the heart to function well as a pump.
Breathlessness, feeling very tired and ankle swelling are the main symptoms of heart failure. However, all of these symptoms can have other causes.
The symptoms of heart failure usually develop quickly (acute heart failure), but they can also develop gradually (chronic heart failure).
There are around 68,000 new cases of heart failure diagnosed in the UK each year. The condition can affect people of all ages, but it is more common in older people.
Causes of heart failure
Various conditions can cause heart failure. For example:
-
- ischemic heart disease (IHD) – also called coronary heart disease – is the most common cause of heart failure
- diseases of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
- high blood pressure
- diseases of the heart valve
- diseases of the pericardium – the tissue that surrounds the heart
-
- some types of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- drugs or chemicals that may damage the heart muscle – for example, alcohol excess, cocaine and some types of chemotherapy
- various non-heart conditions that can affect the function of the heart – for example, severe anaemia, thyroid disease and Paget's disease.
Sometimes the cause of heart failure is not known.
Treatment
In most cases, heart failure is a lifelong condition that cannot be cured. Therefore, treatment aims to find a combination of measures, including lifestyle changes, medicines, devices, or surgery that will improve heart function or help the body get rid of excess water.
In cases where heart failure has a specific cause, a cure may be possible. For example, if your heart valves are damaged, it may be possible to replace them, which can cure heart failure.
Our service
At Guy’s and St Thomas’ we have a comprehensive service for patients with heart failure, which includes:
- rapid assessment and diagnosis of patients with suspected heart failure
- development of a comprehensive management plan
- appropriate education and advice for patients and their carers.
We aim to make sure all patients receive evidence-based treatments in accordance with national and international guidelines.
We have good links with GPs and community services to help make sure patients’ needs are dealt with efficiently, with great emphasis on their concerns and wishes. For our local patients, we work in partnership with King’s College Hospital to provide a specialist community heart failure service.
Recent news: parachuting in a new treatment
Cardiologist Dr Ronak Rajani says:
"The Parachute implant is an exciting
new procedure to help people with
severe heart failure."
We are the only team in the country using the Parachute implant to help patients with severe heart failure when other medical treatments are not working.
The small device, which measures 64-85mm in diameter and resembles an open parachute, is implanted into the main pumping chamber of the heart when there is damaged muscle preventing blood pumping around the body properly. By isolating the damaged muscle, the Parachute is able to improve the efficiency of the pumping action of the heart.
Retired pub landlord Terry Eaton developed symptoms of severe heart failure following three heart attacks. Thanks to the Parachute implant, Terry is set to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary in February. Read more cardiovascular news.