Introduction
Heart failure is a syndrome arising from the deterioration of the heart’s pumping function, resulting in its inability to provide a regular blood supply to the entire body. There are disturbances related to the circulation of nutrients and oxygen, which lead to blood stasis. Otherwise, heart failure is called ventricular dysfunction syndrome, which causes shortness of breath, fatigue, and edema. The pathological process involves one or both ventricles, which differentiates the clinical picture of the disease. More than 500 thousand people a year fall ill with heart failure, and the total number of sick people is about 30 million. Heart failure is a dangerous pathology that leads to severe weakening and exhaustion of the body.
Characteristics of Heart Failure
Causes of the disease
Among the causes of acute heart failure, thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, cardiac tamponade, and valve failure are traditionally distinguished. Each reason is characterized by abrupt changes in the heart rhythm, causing the heart to stop pumping blood effectively. Physical trauma to the heart muscle is probably also often associated with other causes of disease development. Chronic heart failure develops due to sclerotic foci in the heart, angina pectoris, hypertension, and pulmonary heart disease. Inadequate perfusion of organs and tissues is accompanied by fluid retention in the body, resulting in multiple peripheral edemata. Myocardial damage results in impaired ability of the heart to fill and empty.
Pathophysiology of Disease
In heart failure, the heart cannot supply sufficient blood to the tissues for metabolism, and increased pulmonary or systemic venous pressure can lead to fullness in peripheral organs. Such a condition can occur with abnormalities in the heart’s systolic and diastolic function. Although the primary pathology may be altered cardiomyocyte function, impaired synthesis and breakdown of extracellular matrix collagen in the myocardium is also present. Heart structure defects (congenital and acquired) rhythm abnormalities and increased metabolic demand may also cause.
Symptoms and Signs of the Disease
Heart failure manifestations vary depending on whether the primary ventricle is affected, right or left ventricle. In left ventricular failure, the most common symptoms are dyspnea and fatigue due to increased pulmonary venous pressure and low carbon monoxide levels. As it worsens, dyspnea may develop at rest and night; sometimes, a nocturnal cough occurs. With the progression of heart failure, there is usually dyspnea that happens immediately or shortly after taking a horizontal position and disappears quickly after sitting. In right ventricular failure, swelling of the ankles and fatigue are the most common symptoms. Patients sometimes feel congestion in the abdomen or neck. Swelling of the liver may cause discomfort in the upper core, and swelling of the stomach and intestines is accompanied by a feeling of rapid satiety, anorexia, and bloating. Less specific symptoms include cold hands and feet, dizziness, and decreased daily urine volume. Reduced skeletal muscle mass may occur in severe biventricular loss and reflect nutrition reduction and increased catabolism associated with increased cytokine synthesis.
Conclusion
Heart failure is a dangerous heart condition because it provokes clinically severe symptoms and exacerbates its situation. The causes of the disease are somewhat different in the acute and chronic forms: in the first case, the culprits are abrupt changes in cardiac activity; in the second – inadequate perfusion and sclerosis. Heart failure is a consequence of changes in cardiomyocyte function and impaired collagen synthesis. The symptoms of the disease vary depending on which ventricle is affected: the right ventricle leads to peripheral edema and acrocyanosis, the left to dyspnea and fatigue.