Being Overweight Increases Your Risk of Having Heart Failure

What Is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems.

The term "heart failure" doesn't mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, heart failure is a serious condition that requires medical care.

Other Names for Heart Failure

• Congestive heart failure.
• Left-side heart failure. This is when the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body.
• Right-side heart failure. This is when the heart can't fill with enough blood.
• Cor pulmonale. This term refers to right-side heart failure caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle (lower right heart chamber).

Understanding Heart Failure

Heart failure develops over time as the heart's pumping action grows weaker. The condition can affect the right side of the heart only, or it can affect both sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.

Right-side heart failure occurs if the heart can't pump enough blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Left-side heart failure occurs if the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

Right-side heart failure may cause fluid to build up in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen, and the veins in the neck. Right-side and left-side heart failure also may cause shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness).

The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart. Examples include coronary heart disease (CHD), high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Heart failure is a very common condition. Both children and adults can have the condition, although the symptoms and treatments differ. The Health Topic focuses on heart failure in adults.

Currently, heart failure has no cure. However, it can be prevented via lifestyle changes. This can help people who have the condition live longer and more active lives. Researchers continue to study new ways to treat heart failure and its complications.

What Causes Heart Failure?

Conditions that damage or overwork the heart muscle can cause heart failure. Over time, the heart weakens. It isn’t able to fill with and/or pump blood as well as it should. As the heart weakens, certain proteins and substances might be released into the blood. These substances have a toxic effect on the heart and blood flow, and they worsen heart failure.

Causes of heart failure include:

• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Other heart conditions or diseases
• Other factors

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle.

Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle. The buildup of plaque also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries. Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow. Coronary heart disease can lead to chest pain or discomfort called angina, a heart attack, and heart damage.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s blood glucose (sugar) level is too high. The body normally breaks down food into glucose and then carries it to cells throughout the body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose into energy.

In diabetes, the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use its insulin properly. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage and weaken the heart muscle and the blood vessels around the heart, leading to heart failure.

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can weaken your heart and lead to plaque buildup.

Blood pressure is considered high if it stays at or above 140/90 mmHg over time. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.) If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure is defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher.

Other Heart Conditions or Diseases

Other conditions and diseases also can lead to heart failure, such as: 

• Arrhythmia. Happens when a problem occurs with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat.
•  Cardiomyopathy. Happens when the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid.
• Congenital heart defects. Problems with the heart’s structure are present at birth.
• Heart valve disease. Occurs if one or more of your heart valves doesn’t work properly, which can be present at birth or caused by infection, other heart conditions, and age.

Other Factors

Other factors also can injure the heart muscle and lead to heart failure. Examples include:

• Alcohol abuse or cocaine and other illegal drug use
• HIV/AIDS
• Thyroid disorders (having either too much or too little thyroid hormone in the body)
• Too much vitamin E
• Treatments for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy

How to Prevent & Manage Heart FAILURE

Prevention and Management of heart Failure start with engaging in heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include:

• Heart-healthy eating
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Managing stress
• Physical activity

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CLEAN 9 contain a unique nine day dietary supplement regime designed to transform your diet and fitness habits.

The CLEAN9 treatment goals include:

• Helping you to rest your weight by kick-starting a healthy weight loss.

• Lowering the risk of blood clots forming (blood clots can cause a heart attack)

• Preventing complications of coronary heart disease

• Reducing risk factors in an effort to slow, stop, or reverse the buildup of plaque

• Relieving symptoms

• Helping to clear or widening of clogged arteries

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