Good for the elderly
Although there have been recent improvements in congestive heart failure treatment, researchers say the prognosis for people with the disease is still bleak, with about 50% having an average life expectancy of less than five years . For those with advanced forms of heart failure, nearly 90% die within one year.
Patients in the end stages of heart failure want to know what to expect. The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea , chronic cough or wheezing, edema , nausea or lack of appetite , a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking.
Warning signs of worsening heart failure Sudden weight gain (2–3 pounds in one day or 5 or more pounds in one week) Extra swelling in the feet or ankles. Swelling or pain in the abdomen. Shortness of breath not related to exercise.
While advancements have been made, according to a 2008 study, 50% of patients will have an average life expectancy of five years . For those with advanced heart failure , up to 90 % will pass away within one year .
Heart failure signs and symptoms may include: Shortness of breath ( dyspnea ) when you exert yourself or when you lie down. Fatigue and weakness . Swelling ( edema ) in your legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat. Reduced ability to exercise. Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm.
Approximately 90% of heart failure patients die from cardiovascular causes. Fifty per cent die from progressive heart failure , and the remainder die suddenly from arrhythmias and ischaemic events.
Patients are considered to be in the terminal end stage of heart disease when they have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make a clinical determination of congestive heart failure life expectancy.
There are four stages of heart failure (Stage A, B, C and D). The stages range from “high risk of developing heart failure” to “advanced heart failure,” and provide treatment plans.
Over time, if your health gets worse, you may learn that you have advanced heart failure , also known as end – stage heart failure . It means the treatments you’ve used in the past to keep your health stable no longer work.
In a recent study, it was reported that patients hospitalized with moderate systolic heart failure faced a median expected survival time of 2.4 years if they were aged 71 to 80 years and 1.4 years if they were aged 80 years or more. In patients with more advanced systolic dysfunction, life expectancy was even shorter.
But chronic congestive heart failure brings a slower, more painful death . When the weakened heart cannot pump out all the blood inside it, the blood backs up into veins and leaks through small blood vessels; tissues swell painfully .
The current in-hospital treatment for CHF involves removal of excess fluid with diuretic medication and/or ultrafiltration in which a machine bypasses the kidneys and filters water and salt from the body. However, these treatments can have unwanted side effects such as low blood pressure and worsening kidney function.
Scientists may have discovered a way of reversing heart failure by getting heart muscle to regenerate itself . Share on Pinterest It may be possible that a newly discovered cardiovascular repair process could reverse heart failure .
Dr. Werden says full recovery depends on a variety of things, such as how well a patient responds to medication. A minority of people with congestive heart failure require surgery, and some will never enjoy the high quality of life they did before their hearts failed.