“Recent research shows that a major portion of the long-term benefit of statin therapy is in the prevention of heart failure by way of preventing heart attacks and coronary events that lead to it,” says Jones. If you have another type of heart disease or related condition, closely follow your treatment program. Ongoing care and adherence to prescribed medications, such as statin drugs to treat high cholesterol, can make a big difference. Lose pounds if you’re overweight. Along with diet , being physically active helps achieve this goal and is also great for your heart. Get practical ideas to eat for heart health in Eat Smart. Think fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean protein such as chicken without the skin, and “good” fats such as those found in olive oil, fish and avocadoes. Also steer clear of secondhand smoke.Įat in heart-healthy ways. The foods that help you are those that contain little saturated fat, trans fat, sugar or sodium. Stop smoking-better yet, don’t start. It’s a major factor in the arterial damage that can cause heart failure. The best way to avoid congestive heart failure is to avoid the conditions that contribute to it, or to carefully manage these conditions if they develop, says Jones. “To avoid heart failure, there’s a need to prevent other heart problems,” says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Steven Jones, M.D.

One in nine deaths has heart failure as a contributing cause. It’s the most common diagnosis in hospitalized patients over age 65. More than 5 million people in the United States have congestive heart failure.

With or without treatment, heart failure is often and typically progressive, meaning it gradually gets worse. The kidneys, when they don’t receive enough blood, begin to retain water and sodium, which can lead to kidney failure. The lungs fill with fluid, causing shortness of breath. The heart also enlarges a bit to make room for the blood. The heart beats faster to take less time for refilling after it contracts-but over the long run, less blood circulates, and the extra effort can cause heart palpitations. The body tries to compensate in different ways. This pumping problem means that not enough oxygen-rich blood can get to the body’s other organs. As a result, it can’t keep up with the body’s demand, and blood returns to the heart faster than it can be pumped out-it becomes congested, or backed up.

Rather, it means that the heart muscle has become less able to contract over time or has a mechanical problem that limits its ability to fill with blood. Despite its name, heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart has literally failed or is about to stop working. Congestive heart failure (also called heart failure) is a serious condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as efficiently as it should.

Heart faces on ekg