Heart Failure - Treatment Flashcards
What is chronic heart failure characterised by?
Progressive cardiac dysfunction
Breathlessness
Tiredness
Neurohormonal disturbances
Sudden death
What is heart failure?
State at which the heart is unable to pump blood at a rate commensurate with the requirements of the tissues or can do so only from high pressures
What is the state at which the heart is unable to pump blood at a rate commensurate with the requirements of the tissues or can do so only from high pressure?
Heart failure
What are the different kinds of heart failure?
Systolic heart failure
Diastolic (or relaxation) heart failure
What is systolic heart failure?
Decreases pumping function of the heart, which results in fluid back up in the lungs and heart failure
Where does fluid backup to in systolic heart failure?
Lungs
What is diastolic heart failure?
Thickened and stiff heart muscle causes it to not fill with blood properly, fluid will backup into venous system
Where does fluid backup to in diastolic heart failure?
Venous system
What is the prevalence of chronic heart failure?
2-10%
How does the incidence of chronic heart failure change with age?
Increases with age
What is the prognosis of heart failure like?
Poor
5 year mortality of 50% rising to 80% in a year for some patients
What are some risk factors for heart failure?
Coronary artery disease
Hypertension
Valvular heart disease
Alcoholism
Infection (viral)
Diabetes
Congenital heart defects
Other (obesity, age, smoking)
What is the process of the pathological progression of cardiovascular disease?
1) Myocardial injury
2) Pathologic remodelling
3) Low ejection fraction
4) Death
What is the process of systolic dysfunction?
1) In a failing or damaging heart the Frank-Sarling relationship is lost
2) Circulatory volume increase and the heart dilates, the force of contraction weakens and cardiac output drops further
3) Cardiac output then activates renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) further
4) Results in cycle in which RAAS is activated, circulatory volume increases and cardiac performance deteriorates further
5) As the heart starts to dilate the cardiac myocytes undergo hypertrophy and then fibrosis and the heart is further weakened
What is the Frank-Sarling law?
If the muscle of a healthy heart is stretched it will contract with greater forcves and pump out more blood
What does RAAS stand for?
Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
What does heart failure usually occur following?
Sustained hypertension
What does RAAS cause the release of?
Angiotensin and aldosterone
What does angiotensin and aldosterone (RAAS) cause?
Salt and water retention
Vasoconstriction
Hypertrophy
Fibrosis of cardiac myocytes
What does activation of the sympathetic system cause the release of?
Noradrenaline and adrenaline
What does noradrenaline and adrenaline (sympathetic system) cause?
Vasocontriction
Stimulate renin release
Myocyte hypertrophy
What is salt and water excretion caused by?
Natriuretic peptide system
EDRF
Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides
What is the final result of the processes occuring in a failing heart?
Failing heart that cannot pump out sufficient blood
Progressive retention of salt and water resulting in oedema and pulmonary oedema
Progressive myocyte death and fibrosis
What are the aims of treatment for heart failure?
Improve symptoms
Improve symptoms and survival
Improve survival
What drugs are used to improve the symptoms of heart failure?
Diuretics
Digoxin
What drugs are used to improve symptoms and survival of heart failure?
ACE inhibitors/ARBs
Spirolactone
Vaslartan-sububitril
What drugs are used to improve survival of heart failure?
Beta blockers
Ivabradine
What are some different treatment regimens for heart failure?
Inhibition of detrimental neurohormonal adaptations
Enhancement of beneficial neurohormonal adaptations
Enhancement of cardiac function