hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn July 2017 | Page 16

YOUR HEALTH
with Dr. Thakkar
HOW HEAVY IS YOUR HEART?
Heart failure is a common condition that is on the increase.
In simple terms, it can be split into two types.
Weakness of the heart muscle which is referred
to as left ventricular systolic dysfunction, or
heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
(HFrEF). Heart failure due to a stiff heart is
sometimes called diastolic dysfunction, or
heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction
(HFpEF). There are several causes of heart
failure and these include high blood pressure,
coronary artery disease, disease of the heart
valves, heart rhythm problems, alcohol,
chemotherapy, viral infections and genetic
disorders.
Heart failure has several symptoms, particularly
breathlessness, reduced ability to exercise
and water retention. It’s a frightening condition
given some types of heart failure have poorer
outcomes than many cancers. Of course,
there are many other causes of breathlessness
including anaemia, lung disease, other types
of heart disease such as atrial fibrillation, which
I’ve written about previously, poor fitness and
obesity, muscular disorders and so on.
So how can you prevent heart failure and
how can you look after yourself if you have it?
Prevention is essential and complacency carries
with it huge risk. Ensuring your blood pressure
is controlled is an absolute no-brainer. If you
don’t know what your blood pressure is, then
definitely get it checked at your chemist or with
your GP. Many GP surgeries have automatic
blood pressure machines in their waiting
rooms. If you have high blood pressure is it
well controlled? Are you taking your medicines?
Do you have it checked regularly? Smoking
will contribute to heart failure risk as will poorly
controlled diabetes and alcohol misuse. Other
factors that will reduce your risk include taking
regular exercise and controlling your weight.
If you have heart failure, it is absolutely essential
you are managed effectively to reduce the
risk of it getting worse and perhaps requiring
emergency treatment. The cause will need to be
established and treated if possible. Your doctors
will also need to look after other diseases you
may have such as depression, high blood
pressure, kidney disease and diabetes. Your
lifestyle will be crucial which includes exercising,
avoiding alcohol and stopping smoking. If
you have HFrEF, your doctor should ensure
you take particular medication types. These
drugs, which include beta-blockers and another
type called ACE inhibitors, if increased to the
maximum dose you can take, dramatically
reduce the chances of dying from heart failure.
It’s important to take medication as prescribed,
failure to do so will put you at risk. You need to
weigh yourself daily, putting on 2kg in 2 days
can suggest you’re retaining fluid and you need
to see your doctor as soon as possible.
So, what’s the message here? As in most of my topics, prevention is better than
cure. Reduce your risk factors as much as possible by good lifestyle measures and
ensuring you know your blood pressure is controlled. If you do have heart failure, you
need to ensure you take heed of the advice given and absolutely take your medicines
as prescribed!
Dr. Thakkar is a GP at
Pound House Surgery
Chiltern Clinical
Commissioning Group
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