Heart Failure versus Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Question 1

What is heart failure?

Answer 1

a clinical syndrome caused by cardiac dysfunction

The heart can no longer produce a cardiac output that is sufficient to meet the needs of the body so symptoms occur

Question 2

What causes heart failure?

Answer 2

The main cause of heart failure is ischaemic heart disease or myocardial infarction-an ischaemic insult to the heart causing formation of a fibrotic scar that impedes normal electrical conductivity and action of the myocardium
Other causes:
-Hypertension
-cardiomyopathy
-valvuar disease

Question 3

What are the symptoms of heart failure?

Answer 3

Breathlessness, fatigue, ankle swelling, palpitations, light-headedness, exercise intolerance, chest pain

Question 4

What are the signs of heart failure?

Answer 4

Tachycardia, tachypnoea, pulmonary crepitations, pleural effusion, raised JVP, pitting oedema, hepatomegaly, heart murmurs

Question 5

What is left ventricular systolic dysfunction?

Answer 5

Describes impaired contractility or relaxation of the ventricle causing reduced ejection
When the heart is injured in the same way as is for heart failure, but compensatory mechanisms such as sympathetic drive, RAAS, vasoconstriction etc maintain cardiac output so symptoms do not occur.
Eventually though compensatory mechanisms begin to fail and heart failure develops

Question 6

What are the risk factors for developing Heart failure?

Answer 6

Previous MI
Hypertension
Valvular Disease
Male sex
Smoking
Obesity
Diabetes
Physical inactivity

Question 7

Lifestyle advice for heart failure patients:

Answer 7

Maintain exercise if not contraindicated
Smoking cessation
Alcohol abstinence
Flu and pneumococcal annual vaccination
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