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Heart Failure

At Prairie Cardiovascular, our expert heart failure team offers expertise to care for the most basic to the most complex heart failure. Our Heart Failure Clinic offers comprehensive assessments and treatment plans for advanced heart failure.

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs. This can occur when the heart becomes too weak or too stiff to function properly.

There are different causes for heart failure, including:

Coronary artery disease (CAD): Narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the heart muscle.
High blood pressure (hypertension): Over time, it can make the heart work harder and lead to heart failure.
Heart valve disease: Narrowed or leaky heart valves can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
Cardiomyopathy: A disease of the heart muscle itself that affect its ability to pump blood effectively.
Cardiac arrhythmias: Abnormal heart rhythms can disrupt the heart’s pumping ability.

Symptoms of Heart Failure

While some patients with heart failure may not experience any symptoms, many patients present with symptoms of different severity, including:

Shortness of breath (especially with exertion or while lying flat)
Fatigue or weakness
Reduced ability to exercise or perform normal activities
Swelling in the legs, ankles, or abdomen (edema)
Rapid or irregular heartbeat

Management of Heart Failure

Management of patients with heart failure helps to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and slow disease progression. Managing heart failure often requires a comprehensive approach involving medical treatment, monitoring, and ongoing lifestyle adjustments.

Common treatments include:

Medications: Diuretics (for fluid buildup), ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), among others.
Lifestyle changes: Diet, exercise, weight management, and limiting alcohol and salt intake.
Devices: Pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) may be used for certain cases.
Surgery: In some cases, heart valve repair or replacement, bypass surgery, or even a heart transplant may be necessary.