HF

Question 1

what is heart failure?

Answer 1

Heart failure is characterised by the myocardium being too weak to get blood out, or too stretched, which leads to not enough blood to push out.

reduced ejection fraction leads to inability to sustain cardiac output

this means the heart is unable to provide sufficient blood to meet the bodys needs.
- Not a disease on its own, rather, a consequence of other underlying conditions
- The impairment of the heart function can be due to an inbaility to pump effectively during systole or an inability to fill properly during diastole

Question 2

What does treatment involve?

Answer 2

HF is usually managed by treating the underlying condition, together with a combination of drugs:
- ACE inhibitors, beta blockers are used to reduce BP in patients with systolic dysfunction
- diuretics are used to reduce water retention