Today is 'Heart Day'... Prevent heart failure by doing this

September 29th every year is 'World Heart Day'. The heart repeatedly contracts and relaxes, continuously circulating blood throughout our body and playing a vital role in sustaining life. However, when the heart muscle is damaged or weakened due to aging, it is called heart failure, a condition where the pumping function cannot operate properly.

Heart failure, when broken down into Chinese characters, means "the heart (心) is not fully (全) functioning (不)." It refers to a condition where the heart's ability to pump blood is not working properly. About 2.6% of the population in Korea suffer from heart failure, and the incidence rate increases sharply from the age of 70, with approximately 1 in 5 people over 80 being diagnosed with heart failure.

 

Heart failure is classified into acute and chronic types. Acute heart failure occurs suddenly within a week, while chronic heart failure develops gradually as heart function declines. Most cases of heart failure are chronic. When heart failure occurs, oxygen and nutrients are not properly supplied to body tissues, which can also affect other organs.

The primary cause of heart failure is recurrent myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction occurs when the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle become narrowed. Experiencing this multiple times damages the heart muscle and leads to decreased cardiac function. The second cause is dilated cardiomyopathy, a congenital weakness of the heart muscle. If this condition is present, the heart's function can decline rapidly with age. The third cause is arrhythmia, where the heartbeat suddenly becomes irregular. In particular, if arrhythmia causes the heartbeat to nearly double in speed, it can exhaust the heart and trigger heart failure. Additionally, high blood pressure, valvular disease, excessive alcohol consumption, and stress are also known to potentially cause heart failure.

 

The characteristic symptom of heart failure is shortness of breath. In particular, it can cause difficulty breathing and coughing when lying down. Breathing becomes easier as the upper body is elevated, so some patients sleep with multiple pillows stacked. Another symptom is leg swelling. In severe cases, it can take 1 to 2 minutes for the swollen area to return to its original state after pressing with a finger.

 

The most commonly used diagnostic method when heart failure is suspected is echocardiography. By performing an ultrasound, the left ventricular ejection fraction (the percentage of blood ejected from the left ventricle during each heartbeat) can be checked to assess heart function. If the blood entering the heart is 100, a normal person ejects about 50-70% of it from the heart. Therefore, if the left ventricular ejection fraction falls below this range, it can be considered that heart function has declined. However, even in patients with heart failure, the left ventricular ejection fraction may appear normal, so blood tests such as serum natriuretic peptide levels, electrocardiograms, nuclear medicine tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography are also performed.

The most important treatment for heart failure is medication. You need to consistently take medications that enhance the contractile strength of the heart muscle and dilate blood vessels to aid circulation. Since these medications are mainly developed for treating hypertension, they may initially cause a drop in blood pressure or dizziness when first taken. By adapting to these symptoms and continuing the medication, heart failure can be significantly improved. Heart failure caused by reduced systolic function improves in about two out of three patients.

 

Severe heart failure that does not respond to medication is treated with surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery, and some severe patients also undergo cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which uses an artificial pacemaker to assist heart function. In end-stage heart failure, heart transplantation is the most reliable method to improve prognosis, but there is a shortage of donors. To overcome this, a staged treatment strategy has become common, involving the surgical implantation of a type of mechanical pump called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to preserve heart function and allow patients to maintain daily life until a donor heart becomes available for transplantation.

 

To prevent heart failure, avoid excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and situations that cause an increased heartbeat. Additionally, strictly follow the prescribed medication regimen and undergo regular check-ups. During health screenings, it is advisable to perform both echocardiography and blood tests. After heart failure occurs, it is important to eat blandly to prevent salt buildup in the body. One method is to reduce soup intake by thinking of eating with chopsticks instead of a spoon.

 

To maintain heart function, quitting smoking and alcohol is also essential. Appropriate aerobic exercise helps strengthen heart function. In particular, exercise also helps preserve muscle mass, making it very important for the long-term survival of heart failure patients. However, excessive exercise that causes the heart to beat very rapidly should be avoided, and it is better to gradually increase the amount of exercise after the condition stabilizes. Exercise at about 70% of maximum capacity, enough to cause a slight sweat, is recommended.

 

Professor Lee Hae-young of Seoul National University Hospital's Department of Cardiology said, "90% of heart failure patients can maintain their health through proper treatment and management," and advised, "By taking medication properly, strictly controlling daily salt intake, and exercising regularly to strengthen the heart, they can live with a healthy heart." He also explained, "If family members also maintain a less salty diet for the patient and help them stay active regularly, it will greatly aid in the treatment of heart failure."

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As expected, quitting smoking, abstaining from alcohol, and exercising.

Heart disease is frightening.

Let's take care of it