heart disease
Causes and risk factors
Knowing what puts you at risk for developing Heart Failure is the first step to help you to make changes to how you treat your body and maintain your health in the long run. You may not be able to change all of the risks, but every change can make a difference.
Some medical conditions that could lead to Heart Failure include: 2-4,7,8
- Heart disease (also called cardiovascular diseases)
- Problems with the rhythm of the heart (called atrial fibrillation)
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Obesity
- Anaemia
- An overactive thyroid
- High blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol (hypercholesterolaemia)
- Inflammation of the heart muscle during a viral infection
- HIV
- Sleep apnoea
People with Type 2 diabetes have over twice the risk of developing heart failure than people without diabetes.9
Patients with Kidney Disease were over 3.5 times more likely to develop Heart Failure than those without kidney problems.10
Other risks
Other factors that increase your risk of heart failure involve lifestyle choices such as:2,3,7
Smoking
Excessive alcohol intake
A diet high in fat, cholesterol and sodium
Lack of exercise
Certain medication or drugs
But what is a Cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. They include, but are not limited to: 8
- Congenital heart disease – birth defects that causes the heart to not develop and function as normally expected.
- Coronary heart disease – a condition affecting the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.
- Peripheral arterial disease – a condition affecting the blood vessels supplying the arms and legs.
- Deep vein thrombosis & pulmonary embolism – blood clots in the leg veins or lungs.
Heart Failure Risk Checker
Heart Failure Risk checker
is your heart at risk?
What symptoms could I experience with Heart Failure?
Although there are some key symptoms that point to Heart Failure, the damage to the heart could already be present without any symptoms.7
If you experience any of the following symptoms, either suddenly or developing over time, it may be best to have a medical check-up as soon as possible: 2,3,7
- Shortness of breath – this can occur even when not doing strenuous activities and may be worse when lying down
- Swollen ankles, legs, or abdomen – caused by a build-up of fluid
- Sudden weight gain due to retained fluid
- Tiredness or fatigue – feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise and physical activities exhausting
- Feeling light-headed or fainting
- Other, less common symptoms may include:
- Heart beating faster than normal
- Lack of appetite and nausea
- Persistent coughing or wheezing
- Difficulty concentrating or confusion
If any of these symptoms start suddenly and/or is very severe, you may need get to the emergency-department of your nearest hospital as soon as possible.2
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How is Heart Failure diagnosed?
Doctors typically diagnose heart failure by gathering information and running tests. This may include: 7
- Medical and family history and lifestyle discussion to determine your risk factors
- Physical exam to confirm which signs and symptoms you have
- Echocardiogram
- Blood tests
- Chest X-ray
