Heart Failure -Ttypes And Stages

Different stages of heart failure

Heart failure is a severe illness that worsens over time. There are four stages of heart failure, which include a healthy heart with a high risk of failure (stage I) to advanced failure (stage D), Treatments can vary from non-surgical treatments for hrart failure to surgical treatments for heart failure. In other words, each stage has a special treatment plan. Ask your doctor what stage of heart failure you are in.

As heart failure progresses, the amount of blood being pumped to your organs decreases, and the failure progresses to a higher stage. If failure develops, it is unlikely to return. For example, a patient who has entered stage “B” of failure in most cases will not be able to return to stage “A”; for this reason, the goal of treatment is simply to prevent or slow down the progress of the disease.

The treatment plan changes as each stage changes and can include medications, lifestyle modifications, and therapeutic devices implanted in your heart. You can compare the treatments you are receiving with the list below and ask your doctor for more information about them. These treatment plans may, of course, change based on new studies.

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stage “a”

This stage is considered pre-failure, and it means that you have a high risk of developing heart failure due to the following risk factors.

1. high blood pressure
2. diabetes
3. Coronary artery disease
4. Metabolic syndrome
5. History of alcohol abuse
6. History of rheumatic heart disease
7. Family history of heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
8. History of taking drugs that damage the heart (such as some chemotherapy drugs)

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• “A” stage treatment

  • The usual treatment plan at this stage is:
  • Regular physical activity, being active and walking daily
  • No smoking
  • High blood pressure treatment (medication, low sodium diet, and lifestyle modification)
  • Treatment of high blood cholesterol
  • Not using alcohol or other stimulants and narcotics
  • Use of medications, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other vascular disorders. In addition, you should note that there are drugs that should be avoided in heart failure that you must be aware of.

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stage “B”

This stage means that your left ventricle is functioning abnormally, but you do not have any signs or symptoms of failure. Most patients in stage B have an ejection fraction of 40% or less on echocardiography. This stage includes those who have heart failure with reduced left ventricular function for any reason.

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• “B” stage treatment

  • The treatments that were mentioned in the “A” stage.
  • Angiotensin-changing enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, if not prescribed in the previous stage
  • Beta-blockers if you have had a heart attack and your ejection fraction is less than 40%
  • Aldosterone antagonists if you have had a heart attack or have a combination of diabetes and an ejection fraction of less than 35% (these drugs reduce the risk of the heart becoming enlarged and failing)
  • Interventional and surgical treatments to correct coronary artery blockages, valvular diseases, or congenital heart diseases.

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Stage “C”

1. Patients’ heart failure has been diagnosed at this stage and has been symptomatic at present or in the past. Symptoms of this stage include:
2. Shortness of breath
3. fatigue
4. Low ability for physical activity
5. Weakness in the legs
6. Waking up to urinate urgently
7. Swelling of the legs and abdomen

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• Treatment of this stage

  • Treatments mentioned in steps “a” and “b”
  • Beta-blockers (if not already prescribed) to improve the ability of your heart muscle
  • Aldosterone antagonists (if you are not already using them) if vasodilators such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers and beta-blockers are not enough to improve your symptoms
  • A combination of hydralazine and nitrates if your symptoms persist in some patients
  • Medicines are used to reduce heart rate if your heart rate is more than 70 beats per minute.
  • Diuretics for those who are still symptomatic with previous treatments
  • Limit sodium intake in the diet. Ask your doctor about the permissible amount
  • Monitor your weight daily and inform your doctor if you lose or gain more than 2 kg
  • Restriction of fluid intake. Ask your doctor about the permissible amount
  • Putting on an intraventricular pacemaker if needed
  • Operation of the defibrillator (internal shock device) if needed

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Stage “D with reduced left ventricular function”

Patients who are in this stage have symptoms that do not respond well to treatment, and it is the last stage of heart failure.

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• The treatment plan includes:

  • The treatments mentioned in the previous steps
  • Investigating the possibility of a heart transplant, ventricular contraction assist device, heart surgery, continuous infusion of inotropic drugs, palliative treatments, and treatments that are in the research phase.

Note: If the patient needs heart transplant surgery. It should be noted that Heart Transplant Aftercare will be very important for maximum impact on recovery.

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Stages “C” and “D” with preserved left ventricular function

In this situation, the treatment plan will include the following:

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• Treatments listed in steps “a” and “b”

  • Drug treatment of diseases that can cause or worsen heart failure, such as diabetes, atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, obesity, coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, high cholesterol, and kidney disease
  • Taking diuretics to relieve symptoms
  • In short, there are four stages for this disease, including stages A, B, C, and D. These stages vary from a high risk of developing this disorder to an advanced type. The stages of the complication are as follows:
  •        Stage A: the person is not yet diagnosed with the disorder But you are at higher risk because of one or more pre-existing conditions such as coronary artery illness, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
  •        Stage B: the person does not have the disease or its symptoms, But he has received the diagnosis of left shoulder pain and heart disease.
  •        Stage C: The person has symptoms and currently has heart disease that will require advanced treatment.
  •        Stage D: The person is suffering from an advanced type of disease that requires specialized treatment.