Heart failure is a condition that develops over time and occurs when your heart muscles are too weak to pump blood efficiently. Many factors can contribute to this, including an infection, pre-existing conditions like Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), high blood pressure and arrhythmias, heavy alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, and some chemotherapy drugs.
It is important to note that heart failure is a progressive disease, and usually the symptoms only arise in the later stages. This is why early stages of heart failure are often easy to miss, according to Dr C K Ponde, Section Head, Invasive and Non-Invasive, Consultant Cardiologist, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and MRC, Mahim. To understand better, let us take a look at the four stages of heart failure and what to expect in each stage.
Also Read: All About Heart Failure: Expert Debunks Myths About This Condition
Stages Of Heart Failure
The four stages of heart failure include:
Stage A: This stage involves people who are at risk for heart failure but do not have any structural damage to the heart. The risk factors usually include diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, bad lifestyle habits, and smoking.
Stage B: The second stage is where the patient has already developed structural damage to the heart, but there are no symptoms of heart failure.
Stage C: In this stage, patients have developed structural damage to the heart and start to experience the symptoms of heart failure.
Stage D: The final and fourth stage includes patients who have already developed heart failure symptoms that interfere with daily life functions or lead to repeated hospitalisation, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Can Early Stages Of Heart Failure Be Missed?
Symptoms of heart failure usually start to become visible in stage C, which is why, in many patients, the condition is diagnosed very late, says Dr Ponde.
He adds that in the early stages of heart failure, the patient may develop symptoms such as mild breathlessness on exertion, particularly while climbing stairs or in the middle of the night, which usually settles on its own in an hour or two.”
In certain cases, he or she may also develop subtle symptoms, such as dizziness, palpitations, and swelling of the feet.
Unfortunately, many patients with heart failure experience symptoms for years before the diagnosis is finally made, which is usually only after the breathlessness and ankle swelling become severe enough to require hospitalisation, according to a research article published in the European Heart Journal.
This is why Dr Ponde recommends getting a Natriuretic Peptide test (NT-proBNP), which can help detect heart failure even before symptoms appear. When elevated, the doctor also advises getting an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart that show blood flow through the heart and heart valves.
Also Read: Is Your Heart Weak? Know Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Of A Weak Heart
Measures To Take To Prevent Heart Failure
The good news is that heart failure can be prevented.
According to the 2017 issue of the JAMA Cardiology Patient Page, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight are key to preventing heart failure.
Dr Ponde advises people to exercise five days a week and also recommends walking at least 7,000 steps every day, suggesting that it can reduce a person's risk of heart failure by 40%.
Other measures include not smoking, eating fruits and vegetables, moderate alcohol intake, eating fish, and drinking a moderate amount of coffee.
Additionally, the doctor emphasises addressing the risk factors of heart failure, which include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic kidney disease.
He says that patients with these conditions are at a higher chance of developing heart failure, which is why it is important to treat them in the most optimal way right from the beginning.