Being aware and informed is the first step towards living a heart-healthy life
Your Guide to Heart Failure
If you have been diagnosed of heart failure, it's not too late!
Taking care of heart failure actively with an expert team by your side and following your doctor’s advice will enable you live a normal and fulfilling life.
Let us understand more about heart failure…
What is heart failure?
Your heart is a fist-sized organ that pumps blood around your body with every beat. This enables your body to get essential oxygen and nutrients and carried away the unwanted waste products and carbon dioxide back. On an average your heart beats 72 time a minute.
Heart failure is when the heart is not able to pump enough blood and oxygen to support your body’s requirement. It does not mean that the heart has stopped beating and definitely does not mean the end of life.
How do you know you may have heart failure ?
When your heart is unable to pump normally, it may not be able to support your body with enough blood causing you to retain fluid. This can cause leg or abdominal swelling, cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath during activity or when lying flat.
Get in touch with us immediately if you see any of these classic symptoms.
Look out for these classic symptoms:
- Shortness of breath during daily activities.
- Having trouble breathing when lying down.
- Weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles, or stomach.
- Generally feeling tired or weak.
Fast Facts of Heart Failure in India ?
- Indian patients with heart failure are younger than their Western counterparts?
Average age : ~ 53 years India
~ 70 years USA
- Approximately 10 million Indians suffer from heart failure annually.
- Heart failure causes 1.8 million hospitalizations annually in India ,predominantly in the elderly.
Did you know ?
If you have any of the following conditions, you may be at increased risk of heart failure.
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) (the most common type of heart disease) and heart
attacks - Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Other Conditions Related to Heart Disease
- Valvular Heart Disease
Lifestyle behaviors can also add to your risk of heart failure , especially if you have any of the above conditions
- Using tobacco / Smoking
- Eating unhealthy foods such as junk food or food high in oil and salt
- Not getting enough physical exercise
- Excessive alcohol intake
To know more about your condition, call our patient confidantes today!
References:
- Singh, A., et al. Financial burden of heart failure in a developing country: cost analysis from Manipal Heart Failure Registry, India. J Public Health (Berl.). 2021; 29: 585–594
- American Heart Association. Managing Heart Failure Symptoms. Available at https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/warning-signs-of-heart-failure/managing-heart-failure-symptoms accessed on 19th Feb 2023
ICC . National heart Failure Registry. Available at https://www.iccnhfr.org/the-current-situation accessed on 19th Feb 2023
