Systolic Heart Failure

Question 1

What is systolic heart failure?

Answer 1

when the left side of your heart does not pump blood out as it should

Question 2

What anatomical structures does systolic heart failure affect?

Answer 2

• left ventricle of the heart

- right ventricle may also be involved

Question 3

What are the structural abnormalities associated with Systolic Heart Failure?

Answer 3

• The ventricles are often dilated as a result of the hearts attempt to pump more blood
• Mitral valve regurgitation may result from ventricular dilation due to the stretching of the valve ring

Question 4

What are the physiological abnormalities associated with Systolic Heart Failure?

Answer 4

• Heart loses the ability to pump enough blood to meet the body’s metabolic needs
• The heart loses its “pumping reserves”

Question 5

What prior events can cause Systolic Heart Failure?

Answer 5

• Myocardial Infarction
• Viral Myocarditis
• Chemotherapy drugs which poison heart muscle as an unwanted side effect

Question 6

What are the symptoms and signs of Systolic Heart Failure?

Answer 6

• Fatigue
• Dyspnoea
• Orthopnoea (shortness of breath which occurs when lying flat, causing the person to have to sleep propped up in bed or sitting in a chair)
• Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea (attacks of severe shortness of breath and coughing that generally occur at night.)
• Nocturia (passing excess urine at night)
• High Jugular Venous Pressure
• Tachycardia
• Hypotension
• Cachexia (loss of skeletal muscle mass)
• Anorexia
• Tachypnoea
• Oedema in ankles

Question 7

What are the abnormal test results which can be associated with Systolic Heart Failure?

Answer 7

• Dilated heart chambers shown on an echocardiogram (Heart chambers contracting weakly due to the valve leaking).
• A loop diuretic
• potassium retaining diuretic
• ACE inhibitor
• beta-blocker
• special pacemaker (this “resynchronises” the right and left systolic contraction)