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• Heart Failure Management

Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or may stop working. Rather, it means the heart is not able to pump blood effectively or properly. If the pumping of the heart becomes weaker, it can affect the right side of the heart, the left side of the heart, or both. Right-side heart failure develops when the heart cannot pump blood to the lungs and left-side heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood out to the rest of the body.

Causes

The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, or CAD, high blood pressure, and diabetes. High Risk Groups Individuals with a higher risk of heart failure are those who are 65 or older, from certain ethnic backgrounds, and overweight or obese.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of heart failure result from the buildup of fluid in your body and include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue or tiredness, and swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and possibly the veins in your neck. Your physician will diagnose you with heart failure based on your medical history, your family history, a physical exam, and tests such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), a chest x-ray, and blood tests. Further tests may be necessary to fully determine the nature of your condition.

Treatment

Once diagnosed, treatment of heart failure will include a combination of measures. First, you may need to make lifestyle changes in your diet, levels of physical activity, or smoking preferences. Second, your physician may prescribe medications to help treat your heart failure condition and reduce the risk of further problems. Examples of these medications are diuretics that help reduce fluid buildup in the body and ACE inhibitors and Beta blockers that lower blood pressure and reduce the strain on your heart. Lastly, medical procedures and surgeries may be necessary to effectively combat heart failure. Insertion of a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can regulate the way your heart pumps blood, improve blood flow, and decrease your heart failure symptoms. Your physician will recommend the best possible combination of these forms of treatment for your particular case.

Physicians and Mid-Level Providers

Thomas G. Thornton, MD, FACC
Joseph P. Malone, MD, FACC
Stephen C. Schreck, MD, FACC
James M. Pacenta, MD, FACC
Stephen C. Wenzke, MD, FACC
Mark E. Krebs, MD, FACC
B.K. Srivastava, MD, FACC
Wayel Azmeh, MD, FACC
Mukul S. Chandra, MD, FACC
Steven R. Jain, MD
Hema L. Pandrangi, MD, FACC
Eddie D. Davenport, MD, FACC
Kathrine Mattingly, RN, MPAS, PA-C
Lisa M. Grow, PA-C
Angel Bailey, MSN, APRN ACNP-BC
Kristin B. Spitznagel, MPAS, PA-C