Can you live with a weak heart?

It is possible to lead a normal life, even if you have Heart Failure. Understanding and taking control of Heart Failure is the key to success. Your doctor and healthcare providers will provide guidelines and a treatment plan. It is your responsibility to follow the treatment plan and manage your Heart Failure.

How long can you live with a weak heart?

One study says that people with heart failure have a life span 10 years shorter than those who don't have heart failure. Another study showed that the survival rates of people with chronic heart failure were 80% to 90% for one year, but that dropped to 50% to 60% for year five and down to 30% for 10 years.

Can anything be done for a weak heart?

Proper treatment can improve the signs and symptoms of heart failure and may help some people live longer. Lifestyle changes — such as losing weight, exercising, reducing salt (sodium) in your diet and managing stress — can improve your quality of life. However, heart failure can be life-threatening.

What happens if you have a weak heart?

When the heart is weak, it is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Conditions like diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure damage or cause the heart to overwork, which can lead to heart failure.

Can you recover from a weak heart?

Although heart failure is a serious condition that progressively gets worse over time, certain cases can be reversed with treatment. Even when the heart muscle is impaired, there are a number of treatments that can relieve symptoms and stop or slow the gradual worsening of the condition.

Heart Failure Survival Rates

Can a weak heart cause death?

Patients with congestive heart failure have a high incidence of sudden cardiac death that is attributed to ventricular arrhythmias. The mortality rate in a group of patients with class III and IV heart failure is about 40% per year, and half of the deaths are sudden.

Can the heart repair itself?

The heart is unable to regenerate heart muscle after a heart attack and lost cardiac muscle is replaced by scar tissue. Scar tissue does not contribute to cardiac contractile force and the remaining viable cardiac muscle is thus subject to a greater hemodynamic burden.

At what age heart gets weak?

Adults age 65 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which is problems with the heart, blood vessels, or both. Aging can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels that may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Does a weak heart mean heart failure?

Systolic Heart Failure This is the most common cause of heart failure and occurs when the heart is weak and enlarged. The muscle of the left ventricle loses some of its ability to contract or shorten. In turn, it may not have the muscle power to pump the amount of oxygenated and nutrient-filled blood the body needs.

How do I know if I have a weak heart?

Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those body areas are narrowed.

What causes weak heart function?

If your heart weakens too much, it will be unable to pump blood properly to the organs and tissues throughout your body. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by coronary artery disease, a heart attack, or some other underlying health condition. In some cases, it can be genetic, which means you inherited it from your parents.

Can you live 20 years with heart failure?

In general, about half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive 5 years. About 30% will survive for 10 years. In patients who receive a heart transplant, about 21% of patients are alive 20 years later.

Can heart patient live long life?

Make prevention your priority

After a first heart attack, most people go on to live a long, productive life. However, around 20 percent of patients age 45 and older will have another heart attack within five years of their first.

Is a weak heart serious?

Cardiomyopathy can lead to serious complications, including: Heart failure. The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Untreated, heart failure can be life-threatening.

Is it too late to strengthen heart?

Demanding jobs, busy family schedules and even a belief that we still have time to get back into shape can lead us to a more sedentary life than we realize. The good news is that it's really never too late to help your heart health, although there are some important things to keep in mind.

How do I know my heart is healthy?

Having normal blood pressure is a sign of a healthy heart. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or diastolic pressure of 90 or higher, that stays high over time.

How long does it take to strengthen your heart?

With regular exercise, you should start to notice an increase in your aerobic capacity in about 8 to 12 weeks, Traskie says. That means your heart and lungs are better able to shuttle oxygen to your muscles. More oxygen means more energy to help you go farther and faster and lift more.

Can exercise repair heart damage?

Summary: Exercise can reverse damage to sedentary, aging hearts and help prevent risk of future heart failure -- if it's enough exercise, and if it's begun in time, according to a new study by cardiologists.

Can heart problems be fixed without surgery?

Many heart conditions can be treated successfully using medication, including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and high blood pressure. We can also treat heart attacks by giving thrombolytic medications intravenously to dissolve the blood clot causing the heart attack.

How do you stop a weak heart?

Is a weak heart a death sentence?

Although it can be a severe disease, heart failure is not a death sentence, and treatment is now better than ever. When this happens, blood and fluid may back up into the lungs (congestive heart failure), and some parts of the body don't get enough oxygen-rich blood to work normally.

Can exercise make heart failure worse?

Years ago, patients were told to rest and give up activities. But, now, research shows that normal activity is safe for most people with heart failure. Being active may help relieve your symptoms.

Can you live the rest of your life with heart failure?

Chronic heart failure is a long-term condition for which there's currently no cure. However, with medication, many people are able to maintain a reasonable quality of life.

How do you know when heart failure is near the end?

Patients in the end stages of heart failure want to know what to expect. The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea, chronic cough or wheezing, edema, nausea or lack of appetite, a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking.

How long can a 40 year old live with heart failure?

About half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis. 3. Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year.