“Atherosclerosis is a condition where the arteries in your heart become partially or fully blocked by a fatty material known as plaque. This can lead to coronary artery disease, which is also known as coronary heart disease or heart disease.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for coronary artery disease, and you can’t reverse this condition once you’re diagnosed. But you can make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing further health problems, such as a heart attack. Options include adjusting your diet, exercising more and limiting your alcohol intake.

“Although we can’t cure heart disease, we can make it better,” says cardiologist Steven Nissen, MD, Chief Academic Officer, Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. “Most forms of heart disease are very treatable today.”

Cleveland Clinic (Can Heart Disease Be Cured?)

Heart Disease is still the number one killer even greater than cancer in both men and women today. This disease should be rare; a lot of cardiac disease it is inflicted upon humans through being overweight through just bad healthy habits practiced. Obesity can cause diabetes II, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people don’t realize they have it. That’s why it’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly. The good news is that you can take steps to prevent high blood pressure, or to treat it if it is already high.

What we can do is make some changes in our living. We westerners create an increase in diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. AMERICA WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND MAKE A CHANGE. TO THE MAIN CULPRITES we are talking about sugars and fat (OUR DIET). GLUCOSE and LIPIDS!. The typical American diet is consisted and loaded with sugar and fats. Lack of exercise and stress doesn’t help the situation. Get peace of mind through again making changes in your life if you are striving to become healthier. Let’s look at cholesterol = 2 types HDL and LDL. LDL is the bad cholesterol. Know if your LDL is type A or type B. If you have a high HDL level and a low LDL that is good but ask your doctor to see if you can get a blood test checking both type A and type B of your cholesterol that will give you the knowledge if you need to take an action. Go to CDC.org to see the different number ranges of both men and women on their levels and more. Just knowing your cholesterol level isn’t enough but does give the doctor some direction. Knowing if your type A or type B LDL helps even more with knowing your risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol only becomes a problem if the LDL gets too high with high pattern type B which is worse with stress and smoking and processed foods in high amounts eaten. Particles called lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood. There are two kinds of lipoproteins you need to know about: LDL and HDL. The plasma lipoprotein particles classified under high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoproteins enable fats to be carried in the blood stream.

-Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol make up the majority of the body’s cholesterol. LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol because having high levels can lead to a buildup in the arteries and result in heart disease.

-High-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol absorb cholesterol and carry it back to the liver, which flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) is the major protein of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and apoB is among the major proteins of very low-, low- (LDL), and intermediate-density lipoproteins. Because of their associations with the respective lipoproteins, apoA1 is inversely and apoB is positively associated with cardiovascular risk (2). In fact, evidence suggests that apoA1 and apoB are better predictors of heart disease risk than are HDL and LDL cholesterol levels (3-5). Apolipoproteins may also offer advantages over lipoprotein cholesterol measurements because they are direct measurements, whereas LDL, for example, is calculated from other lipoproteins from a fasting blood sample.

You can take several steps to maintain a normal cholesterol level.

• Get a blood test.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Don’t smoke.
• Treat high cholesterol.

Heart disease what is it? Your arteries can get stretched in high blood pressure and it puts the arteries at risk for an auto immune response which allows LDL particles to go in these stretched out areas causing build up of bad cholesterol in the arteries and imbeds fat causing the placque build up = narrowing of the arteries.

We need to reduce inflammation in the arteries. To prevent, reduce, and treat heart disease if already diagnosed with. Reduce all sugars, cut back on fatty foods, exercise daily, increase of your whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. We need to use all 4 food groups but eat the healthy ones in the right portions. Which I can provide to you later how to go about this.

In the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which leads many to heart attacks. You can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication. CAD consists of cholesterol and placque build up, even tar if a smoker, that can be deadly in time with blocking the arteries called atherosclerosis. This in time left untreated can lead to a heart attack or even silent heart attack. CAD also is the brittling of the arteries causing narrowing of the arteries called arteriosclerosis. Here it is the ending result is the blood supply is affected in not getting enough oxygen throughout our body to our tissues.

Coronary artery disease can cause a heart attack. If you have a heart attack, you are more likely to survive if you know the signs and symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately, and get to a hospital quickly. People who have had a heart attack can also reduce the risk of future heart attacks or strokes by making lifestyle changes and taking medication. Don’t put off the chest pain or discomfort in the chest or pain down the L arm for if your right you want to prevent the heart attack before it occurs and if you already had an attack the sooner treated the better. Reperfusion of blood to the heart is the KEY in treatment. Chest pain to the heart is lack of oxygen getting to the heart tissue=ischemia. We alone can’t treat it but we can prevent it before CAD even sets in through good health practices daily, healthy dieting daily and balancing rest with exercise daily.

Look at our diet alone in America: Take the elements that are in our food=Sugars or Carbohydrates or Fats. Simple CHO likes bread, rice, pasta along with fats and complex sugars all convert to simple sugars in the stomach and when it goes through digestion and the simple sugar reaches the blood stream filling it up with sugar which first does get utilized to our tissues and cells but if still extra sugar in the blood stream that sugar has to go somewhere which is by filling up the liver with it. In the liver the glucose gets converted from active sugar=glucose to glycogen=inactive sugar that stores in this organ. This is so if and when the body needs extra sugar for energy in our body and we don’t eat the inactive glucose glycogen will get released back into the blood stream and change to glucose and be used. Since we eat so much in America it usually isn’t the case. Obesity is so large in our country and this is why. When it reaches full and can’t store anymore still this glucose extra glucose in the blood stream has to go somewhere. So now the glucose gets stored in our fatty tissue=weight gain. This is what you see with eating through on a regular basis day in & day out too much food compared to the activity or exercise you get for the day. If no daily exercise then your fat storage build up is high=weight gain.

How do we go about preventing CAD and getting healther. Well see if this makes sense to you, it did to me. First, genetic abnormalities contribute to the risk for certain types of heart disease, which in turn may lead to heart failure. However, in most instances, a specific genetic link to heart failure has not been identified.

SO THE KEY TO PREVENTION OF CAD IS TO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS, YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE.

“It’s that time of year again! National Condom Day is almost upon us, landing on February 14th, Saturday 2026. Sharing the date with Valentines Day, National Condom Day is an opportunity to celebrate safer sex and relationships. At SHQ we believe everyone has the right to learn about sexual health so that we can have healthier relationships, and safer, consensual, and pleasurable sex.”

Sexual Health Quarters (National Condom Day 2026 – Sexual Health Quarters)

On Valentine’s day every year it starts National Condom Week till 2/21.

In the US, February National Condom Month originally started on the campus of the University of California – Berkeley, it has grown into a educational even for high schools, colleges, family planning organizations, AIDS groups, sexually transmitted disease awareness groups, pharmacies and condom manufacturers.  In hopes to help young ones and all in preventing STDs.  Using condoms helps prevent you getting sexual transmitted diseases through intercourse.  Also having one sex partner only with both checked for STDs first.  STDs you don’t want to get especially those that can shorten your life.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been known to mankind for centuries. Before the advent of modern medicine, people’s lack of awareness and understanding of STDs contributed to the widespread transmission of the infections while few or no treatments were available to treat the conditions.

In medieval times, syphilis and gonorrhoea were two of the most prevalent STDs in Europe.

Some STDs can have severe, life-changing consequences; syphilis, for example, can eventually cause progressive destruction of the brain and spinal cord, leading to mental dysfunction and hallucinations, speech problems and general paresis.

It’s kind of puzzling that sexually transmitted diseases are so prevalent—particularly when you consider that you have to get pretty up close and personal to contract one. An STD is characterized by any disease that is spread by one partner to another via sexual contact, and that can be orally, vaginally, anally, or via hand to genital contact. Regardless, they are spread when one partner passes the disease-causing organism on to the other. Obviously, preventing STD transmission is first and foremost by practicing safe sex (PREVENTION) and not enough do it in America for some crazy reason hurting themselves and other people. However, if you think you might have contracted one of the most common STDs, recognizing the disease is imperative for swift treatment and preventing further spreading.

Top venereal diseases in the USA:

1-Gonorrhea

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 700,000 new cases of Gonorrhea, or the “clap”, crop up every year. This long-term STD that is spread bacterially, affecting a female’s cervix, a male’s urethra, or the throat in both sexes, which means that it’s transmitted by vaginal, oral, and anal sex. The symptoms of gonorrhea are pretty subtle; the most noticeable being burning when urinating or a yellowish penile discharge in men.

2-Hepatitis

Sexually transmitted hepatitis is hepatitis B (or HBV), which afflicts more than 1.25 million individuals in the U.S. even though there is a vaccine. If left untreated, a Hep B infection will scar and damage the liver, causing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Unfortunately, over half of those affected show no symptoms, but those who do suffer muscle pain and fatigue, yellowing of the eyes (or jaundice), nausea, and a distended stomach.

3-Syphilis

Syphilis is a particularly sneaky STD that caused by a type bacterial infection of the genital tract, known as Treponema Pallidum. Syphilis is transmitted when direct contact is made between the small, painless sores on the mouth, rectum, vagina, or around the genitals in areas not protected by latex condoms. It can also be transmitted via infected mother to her baby during pregnancy. When there are no sores, the disease is still present. Syphilis symptoms are rare , however, the most telling are sores or lesions on and around the genitals, as well as hair loss, sore throat, fever; headache; and a white patchy skin rash.

4- Chlamydia

Like Gonorrhea, Chlamydia affects a man’s penile urethra and a woman’s cervix. However, oftentimes those who’ve contracted Chlamydia don’t show symptoms for months or even years, which explains why it’s the most common and rampant STD. If you do show symptoms, you’ll feel pain during intercourse and have a discolored, thick discharge from the vagina or penis. Transmitted via sexual penetration with an affected partner, using latex condoms can prevent transmission of this curable STD.

 5. Crabs

If you feel a creepy-crawly, itchy sensation in your genitals, you may have crabs (or public lice). They show themselves as visible eggs or lice in the coarse hair of the genital region (even if you shave it off), and they can spread to the armpits and eyebrows if left untreated. Typically transmitted via sexual contact, crabs can also be passed via contact with infested linens or clothing .

6. Human Papilloma Virus

Human Papilloma Virus (or HPV) is currently the most wide spread STD. It affects roughly three-quarters of the sexually active population and a staggering one-quarter of sexually active women, which is why there is a North American vaccine to protect young women from certain types of HPV that are linked to genital warts and cervical cancer. HPV is transmitted through genital contact—via vaginal and anal sex, and also oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. Most times HPV doesn’t show any symptoms until it’s far advanced, but genital warts as well as RRP, a condition where warts grow in the throat and eventually cause breathing difficulties are common.

7. Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial Vaginosis, or BV, is not always considered an STD even though it typically afflicts those of child-bearing age with multiple or new sex partners. BV occurs when healthy bacteria in the vagina overgrow and become imbalanced, causing burning and itching around the vagina and a thick, grey discharge with a strong fishy odor. Antibiotics will quickly clear up bouts of BV, but it can reoccur, leaving the victim prone to pelvic inflammatory disease, other STDs, and premature births (if pregnant).

 8. Herpes

Painful sores or lesions on your mouth or genitals may indicate herpes, a viral STD that comes in two forms HSV1 (herpes of the mouth) and HSV2 (herpes of the genitals). Herpes is transmitted skin-to-skin—for instance, from genital to genital, mouth to genital, or mouth to mouth contact with an infected individual, even when they don’t have visible sores. Even though herpes symptoms be treated with antibiotics, the virus never goes away and reoccurs typically 2 to 4 times per year.

9. Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, or “trich”, often masks itself as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis (BV) in women with similar symptoms—including a thick, grey discharge, offensive vaginal odor, pain or burning intercourse, and itchiness. A parasitic trichomonas vaginalis infection affects the urethra and the vagina in women. It can be transmitted back and forth between sex partners (man to woman and woman to woman) via vaginal intercourse and contact. However, most men typically don’t have any symptoms.

10. HIV

HIV is transmitted via the exchange of body fluids—such as semen, vaginal secretions, blood, or breast milk. Within a month or 2 of contracting HIV, about 40 to 90-percent of those afflicted suffer from flu-like symptoms including fever, fatigue, achy muscles, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache, skin rash, dry cough, nausea, rapid weight loss, night sweats, frequent yeast infections (for women), cold sores, and eventually, pneumonia. Luckily, many individuals who are diagnosed early can live a long, productive life with HIV thanks to a combination of highly active anti-retroviral drug therapy, which prevents to progression to AIDS causing death.

Vaccination is another way that you can prevent yourself from becoming infected. So far the only effective vaccines we have available are for hepatitis B and HPV. We’re recommending that teenage girls be vaccinated against HPV, because certain strains are associated with cervical cancer.

So Don’t be silly, protect your willy
When in doubt, shroud your spout
It will be sweeter if you wrap your peter
No glove, no love!

Don’t lac but get your vac to prevent a poor sex act!

Remember PREVENTION!

While humor is used to help provide education, National Condom Week has become a tool to help educate young adults about serious risks involved with unprotected sex. This includes the risk of catching and spreading sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS as well as helping to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

• Valentine’s Day Snack Board: Create a board with heart-shaped salami and cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, and a few dips for a fun and healthy treat. 
• Yogurt Covered Strawberries: Dip fresh strawberries in vanilla yogurt for a sweet, healthy treat that requires minimal hands-on time. 
• Strawberry Tartlets: Use puff pastry to make adorable strawberry tartlets, perfect for brunch or parties. 
• Strawberry Milk: Make a delightful strawberry milk recipe with fresh strawberry purée for a sweet and tasty treat. 
• Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Bites: These simple and delicious bites are a great way to enjoy dark chocolate without the guilt. “

  These ideas are not only healthy but also perfect for sharing with loved ones, making your Valentine’s Day celebration even more special.

ThisHealthyTable .com (Healthy and Happy Heart Valentine’s Day ideas for you and a loved one tomorrow!)

The American Heart Association tips on healthy valentine ideas:

“Valentine’s Day is all about showing your sweetheart how much you care about them. With it being National Heart Month, it’s also important that you show your heart how much you care about it, too! If you and your loved one are looking to indulge in some heart-healthy Valentine’s Day activities, here are some of our favorite ideas taken from the American Heart Association.

1. Rather than tempting your loved one with chocolates, send a fruit basket that has natural sugar and healthy nutrients instead of sweets with added sugars.
2. Quality time is one of the most meaningful gifts. Bundle up and plan a heart-healthy activity like ice skating, a wintery walk, or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit an indoor rock-climbing wall!
3. If your children are having Valentine’s Day party at their school or daycare, consider sending pretzels, pencils, or stickers as tokens of their friendly affection, instead of candy.
4. Cooking at home is an excellent way to control the quality and amounts of what you eat. Spend time with your loved one learning a new heart-healthy recipe and preparing a romantic, candlelit dinner.
5. If you do go out for a romantic dinner date, consider ordering one entrée to share. Many restaurant servings are enough for two and splitting one can help keep you from overdoing it.
6. Know before you go – make it a point to look up the menu and nutrition information for the restaurant you’re going to ahead of time (most restaurants should have this available online) and take note of what might be good to order.
7. Take it slow! If you were gifted a luxurious box of chocolates from your sweetie, stick it in the fridge or freezer and enjoy in moderation over several weeks.
8. Don’t forget to share your love with your pets! Give your pet a Valentine and take them for a long walk today. Not only do you get to bond with your pet, but it’s also a great healthy activity.
9. Use this day as an opportunity to tell your loved one how you feel about him or her, and share ways that you can support each other’s health and wellness goals.
10. One of the best things you can do for your heart is to give up smoking or help a loved one quit. Make a commitment for your loved ones that will have a lasting impact.”

Reference:

10 Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day Ideas from the American Heart Association | Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin

Treatments for CHF:

Heart failure caused by an excessive workload is curable by treating the primary disease, such as anemia or thyrotoxicosis or hypertension or diabetes.  Also, curable are forms caused by anatomical problems such as a heart valve defect.  These defects can be surgically corrected.

However, for the common forms of heart failure due to damaged heart muscle no known cure (like a heart attack that damages the heart muscle where the attack took place on the organ) but prevention of it happening again can take place in many cases through treatment of the disease or illness with being compliant in following up with your doctor for the disease or illness and being compliant in following doctor’s orders.   The worst thing you can do is ignore them.  The treatment seeks to improve patients quality of life and length of survival through lifestyle change and drug therapy.

Patients can minimize the effect of heart failure by controlling the risk factors for heart disease they may have.  Obvious steps include:  Don’t smoke or quit smoking, lose weight if necessary, abstaining from alcohol, making those dietary changes to reduce the amount of salt and fat consumed in your diet.

Also, regular with modest exercise is also helpful for many patients; though the amount and intensity should be carefully monitored by a physician.

Even with lifestyle changes, most heart failure patients must take medication but know good tips mention above + taking the meds the doctor prescribed for the congestive heart failure will help. 

Many patients receive 2 or more meds.  Types of common medications given are:  ACE inhibitors, Digitalis, Diuretics, Hydralazine, and Nitrates.

These are some of the meds given for heart failure.

Not all medications are suitable for patients, and more than one drug may be needed.  Always review the list your pharmacist provides in the action, side effects, with instructions of how to take the drug to make it most effective in your body with what to look for while on this medication to keep you the patient most informed on what you should be aware of since your on the medication.  You should know what your taking.

Results of studies over the years have placed more emphasis on the use of drugs:

1-angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitors.  Several studies have indicated that ACE inhibitors improve survival among heart failure patients and may slow perhaps even prevent the loss of the heart pumping activity.

This drug  prevents the transfer of your enzyme Angiotensin 1 to convert into Angiotensin 2 which prevents the vessels in your body to do vasoconstriction which prevents the pressure in the bloodstream to raise = high B/P (hypertension) but this medication prevents this from happening.  By the medication doing this it prevents stress to the heart; with vasoconstriction in causing the B/P to go high this now causes the  blood to get to the heart slowly and more difficult causing the heart to pump harder but the ACE inhibitor with allowing vasodilation (opening of vessels) keeps the pressure down to make the job easier= less stress on the heart.  Originally these medications where for patients in the treatment of hypertension but they help patients with heart failure, among other things, decreasing the pressure inside the blood vessels causing the heart to do its job easier.

2-Digitalis increases the force of the heart’s contractions, helping to improve circulation in the body.

3-Diuretics are for reducing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream and body by releasing them via the kidneys and having us void the excess of water out in our urine, these are useful for patients with fluid retention.

Those who aren’t prescribed or cannot take these meds already mentioned may be given a hydralazine medication and/or a drug in the Nitrate classification, each of which help relax tension in the blood vessels to improve blood flow.  Also, both Hydralazine and Nitrates function is they cause vasodilation in the vessels improving blood flow to the heart.

Sometimes heart failure is life threatening.  Usually, this happens when drug therapy and lifestyle changes fail to control its symptoms. In such cases, a heart transplant may be the only treatment option. However, candidates for transplantation often have to wait months or even years before a suitable donor heart is found.

Surgeries for some patients with CHF:

1-Heart Transplant

Studies over the years indicate that some transplant candidates improve during this waiting period through drug treatment and other therapy, and can be removed from the transplant list.

Transplant candidates who do not improve sometimes need mechanical pumps, which are attached to the heart.  Called left ventricular assist device (LVADs), the machine takes over part or virtually all of the heart’s blood-pumping activity.  However, current LVADs are not permanent solutions for heart failure but are considered bridges to transplantation. Worldwide, about 3,500 heart transplants were performed annually. The vast majority of these are performed in the United States (2,000-2,300 annually). Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California has performed the most heart transplants in the last three consecutive years performing 95 transplants in 2012 alone. About 800,000 people have a Class IV heart defect indicating a new organ.  The degrees of CHF are I, II, III and IV.  In learning more about CHF with heart transplants (including becoming a candidate for one) go to wwwtransplantexperience.com or even hearttransplant.com.

2-Cardiomyoplasty

Another surgical procedure for heart failure that is available in America is cardiomyoplasty.  This is a surgical procedure in which healthy muscle from another part of the body is wrapped around the heart to provide support for the failing heart.  Typically the latissmus dorsi muscle is used which is the largest muscle in the upper body, a broad, triangular muscular covering the lower posterior thorax that works with the shoulder for extension, adduction and internal rotation. A special pacemaker is implanted to make the skeletal muscle contract.  The electrical stimulator causes the back muscle to contract, pumping the blood from the heart out into your blood stream delivering oxygen to body tissue parts all over the body (this allows the heart to do its job more effectively).c0

Complications of CHF:

Through the Mayo clinic as a reference regarding complications their website stated: “If you have heart failure, your outlook depends on the cause and the severity, your overall health, and other factors such as your age. Complications can include:

• Kidney damage or failure. Heart failure can reduce the blood flow to your kidneys, which can eventually cause kidney failure if left untreated. Kidney damage from heart failure can require dialysis for treatment.
• Heart valve problems. The valves of your heart, which keep blood flowing in the proper direction through your heart, may not function properly if your heart is enlarged, or if the pressure in your heart is very high due to heart failure.
• Liver damage. Heart failure can lead to a buildup of fluid that puts too much pressure on the liver. This fluid backup can lead to scarring, which makes it more difficult for your liver to function properly.
• Stroke. Because blood flow through the heart is slower in heart failure than in a normal heart, it’s more likely you’ll develop blood clots, which can increase your risk of having a stroke.

Tips for prevent and deal with Congestive Heart Failure:

• Closely follow your doctor’s instructions, being compliant with the instructions and taking your meds.  Control your weight in making it easier for your heart, that’s in failure, to function better (less stress).  It puts less stress on the heart, remember the heart is the size of your fist. Limit or stop alcohol consumption as your doctor informs you.The best defense against heart failure is PREVENTION!  Almost all the cardiac risk factors can be controlled by eliminating the bad unhealthy habits (smoking, obese, high cholesterol, high B/P, diabetes).If you are needing any guidance in how to lose weight through using all 4 food groups, with assistance in what to eat now to lose weight till you are in therapeutic range for your height rather than eating food from the market or if you need to understand how the body works with food and metabolism with where activity comes into play go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.  See what we can provide you in answering all these questions for you through Dr. Anderson and myself as your coach free.  SO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS,  YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE.
• Recommended to anyone with heart disease before changing your diet, activity/exercise program review your changes with your doctor to get clearance first to maintain your safety.
• We can fulfill this goal, the one step America is by getting healthier (through diet, exercise, and living healthier habits) which would impact cardiac disease by decreasing it in time which would decrease congestive heart failure. Learn more about CHF on striveforgoodhealth.com with learning how to reach this goal. Let us the people of America take part on decreasing disease and not just leave it the health care or government’s hands. Look at the results already and we the society need to take be responsible in being better for ourselves, our children and our future generations.
• Going to the doctor, in particular a cardiologist, can be stressful but know he or she is there for you.  It is hard to remember everything you want to ask the doctor with everything you hear at your visit.  It helps to prepare a list of questions you may have and bring it with you at your appointment to address to the concerns you listed to the doctor.  In doing this it helps you with your appointment so you can record the answers by listing them on the paper you have.  Before you leave the doctor’s office, be sure you understand your condition, its treatment, including any medications your taking this doctor that he or she prescribes for you with that doctor knowing any other medications you may be on through a different doctor to prevent side effects or adverse reactions occurring but if you forget this about the medications there is always your pharmacist you can ask, than your personal M.D. later.  With you knowing all this information you will see why it is so vital for you doing all these actions or interventions for your disease that your doctor prescribed or ordered and you’re more out to follow them as well with understanding the whole picture about the treatment for CHF.
• Of course, stop smoking permanently if actively smoking.
• Watch what you eat and how much.  Watch the diet intake of cholesterol and sodium that can cause a negative impact on the heart by causing stress to the organ through either high B/P=high sodium intake that causes vasoconstriction or high cholesterol intake frequently that commonly causes blockage in an artery.  Both high sodium or high cholesterol cause diminishing of oxygenated blood getting to the heart.  Without oxygen to our tissues or cells this causes tissue & cellular starvation (ischemia).  What is starvation to the heart=ischemia to the heart=chest pain (what we call angina).  Take a brittle diabetic, the furthest area from the heart is the feet the first area to experience starvation is the toes, foot or lower extremity which is why this is usually the first to be amputated if necessary (you usually see an upper extremity amputated due to trauma not disease).
• Immediately call your doctor of any significant change in your condition, such as an intensified shortness of breath or swollen feet or weight gain of 3lbs or more within one week.
• See your doctor regularly in evaluating your CHF.
• Some people’s symptoms and heart function will improve with proper treatment. However, heart failure can be life-threatening. People with heart failure may have severe symptoms, and some may require heart transplantation or support with an artificial heart device.

“Some heart conditions slowly leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump blood properly. These conditions include narrowed arteries in the heart and high blood pressure.

Proper treatment may improve the symptoms of heart failure and may help some people live longer. Lifestyle changes can improve quality of life. Try to lose weight, exercise, use less salt and manage stress.

But heart failure can be life-threatening. People with heart failure may have severe symptoms. Some may need a heart transplant or a device to help the heart pump blood.

Heart failure also may be called congestive heart failure.”

MAYO CLINIC (Heart failure – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

Congestive Heart Failure-signs&symptoms:

A number of symptoms are associated with heart failure (HF), but none is specific for the condition.

1-SOB or dyspnea-Perhaps the best -known symptom is short of breath or difficulty breathing (called dyspnea).  In heart failure, this may result from excess fluid in the lungs=pulmonary congestion=Congestive Heart Failure.  The breathing difficulties may occur at rest or during exercise.  In some cases, congestion may be severe enough to interrupt or prevent you from sleeping.

2-Fatigue or easy tiring-This is another common symptom.  As the heart’s pumping capacity decreases, muscles and other tissues receive less oxygen and nutrition, which are carried in the blood.  Without proper fuel (oxygen from the blood) provided by our engine (the heart), the body cannot perform as much work as it use to do (just like going from in shape to out of shape in time).  The ending line is this will result into fatigue.

3-Edema-Fluid accumulation will cause swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, and occasionally the abdomen (if the fluid building up in the body gets severe), what we medically call that edema.  The most common cause of right sided heart failure is left sided heart failure. You see this edema primarily with right sided heart failure.  Through gravity the blood goes backwards and our body allows water to transfer in the skin to allow the fluid to go somewhere other than the bloodstream to decrease fluid overload to the heart, which is your body trying to compensate with this excess fluid.  Its body compensation since the blood is going backwards from the heart causing fluid back up.  Excess fluid retained by the body will result into weight gain, which sometimes occurs fairly quickly (if you have CHF already you should always call your M.D. if you weight gain is 3lbs or more in a week, odds are high this is due to fluid building up).  This is why everyday a person in the hospital with CHF is weight scaled to keep an eye on fluid build up and report to M.D. anytime it goes over 3lb gain from the intial weight taken when it was therapeutic during that hospitalization.  If the weight gain is over 3 lbs a diuretic commonly used lasix will be given to remove the excess fluid till the weight is therapeutic and only if the pt has good kidneys to pee it out.

-4-Persistent coughing is another common sign, especially coughing that regularly produces mucus or pink, blood-tinged sputum.  Some people develop raspy breathing or wheezing.  Common with fluid in the lungs.

The process of how Heart Failure occurs:

Heart failure usually goes through a slow development, the symptoms may not appear until the condition has progressed over the years.  This happens because the heart first compensated by making adjustments with the heart that delay or slow down but do not prevent the ability of the heart to do its function that is stressed out or later due to some degree of heart failure, the eventual loss in pumping capacity occurs.  In time failure happens, just like a car in that when it gets older over several years is starts showing one problem after another and is exchanged for a newer car; same principle with the heart in that you show no signs and symptoms as your heart starts to slow down but after years of this compensating with the body gets to the point of heart failure and now signs and symptoms may show.  Know there are four stages of heart failure A, B, C, D and in stage A and B the pt has no symptoms yet so symptoms take time to start showing and this starts usually in stage C (Heart Failure) and definitely shown in D (Advanced Heart Failure).

How the heart compensates first for a person that is in Heart Failure:

The M.D. either treats the problem or get a transplant of the organ (which is unlikely to happen) as treatment but know this-the heart first hides the underlying process but compensates by doing this to your heart:

1-Enlargement to the muscle of the heart (causing “dilatation”) which allows more blood into the heart.

2-Thickening of muscle fibers (causing “hypertrophy”) to strengthen the heart muscle, which allows the heart to contract more forcefully and pump more blood.

3-More frequent contraction, which increases circulation.

By making these adjustments, or compensating, the heart can temporarily make up for losses in pumping ability, sometimes for years.  However, compensation of the organ can only last so long, not forever (like anything in life the living thing or an object will go through a ending life process to termination).  Eventually the heart cannot offset the lost ability to pump blood, and the signs of heart failure appear that are usually seen in stage C where symptoms start to show.

DIAGNOSIS:

1-MD examining the patient:  In many cases, physicians diagnose heart failure during a simple physical examination.  Readily identifiable signs are shortness of breath, fatigue, and swollen ankles and feet.  The physician also will check for the presence of risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity and a  history of heart problems.

Using a stethoscope, the physician can listen to a patient breathe and identify the sounds of lung congestion.  The stethoscope also picks up the abnormal heart sounds indicative of heart failure.

2-Lab Tests particularly cardiac enzymes and primarily measured is a B-type Natriuretic peptide or NT-pro BNP because this peptide releases by the heart when under stress, pressure, or volume overload = fluid build up.  With doing a simple CBC – complete blood cell test, and chemistry.

3-EKG-Electrocardiogram-If one or not both symptoms or the patient’s history point to a clear cut diagnosis, the physician may recommend any of a variety of laboratory tests, including, initially, an electrocardiogram (EKG)=12 lead EKG, which uses recording devices placed on the chest called electrodes to evaluate the electrical activity of a patient’s heartbeat which will be affected by CHF.  For example if the heart rhythm of the EKG shows Atrial Fibrillation or A Fib its a result from a weakened heart muscle.  Other arrhythmias like atrial flutter or even a very slow HR can also indicate or exacerbate CHF, often with palpitations, fatigue and SOB.  Also if the pt shows tachycardia (HR over 100)  or bradycardia (HR under 60).  Either heart rate (HR) can strain the heart, leading to or worsening heart failure.  Also PVC’s meaning Premature Ventrical Contractions seen in the arrhythmias or even normal sinus rhythm (normal and best rhythm to be in) are often found often in people with HF.

Echocardiography is another means of evaluating heart function from outside the body.  This works through sound waves that bounce off the heart are recorded and translated into images.  The pictures can reveal abnormal heart sizes, shape, and movement.  Echocardiography also can be used to calculate a patient’s ejection fraction which is a measurement of the amount of blood pumped when the heart contracts.

4-Chest X-ray which also determines the heart’s size and shape, as well as the presence of congestion in the lungs-fluid in the lungs.

Tests help rule out other possible causes of symptoms.  The symptoms of heart failure can result when the heart is made to work too hard, instead of from damaged muscle (like in a heart attack).  Conditions that overload the heart occur rarely and include severe anemia and thyrotoxicosis (a disease resulting from an overactive thyroid gland).

Prevention of CHF:

-If not diagnosed yet your already possibly ahead.  Without this diagnosis you can get started on making yourself further away from being diagnosed with this disease.  How to reach this goal is through living a routine life through healthy habits practiced, healthy dieting over all, and balancing rest with exercise during the week 30-40 minutes a day or 1 hour to 1.5 hours 3 times a week and not being obese.  They all would benefit the heart in not stressing it out making the heart’s function harder in doing its function.  When the heart stresses out it is at risk for lacking oxygen putting it at potential for angina (heart pain) to a heart attack with over time leading toward failure of the heart.  Need to learn more about what is and how to get your weight in therapeutic body mass index range through dieting of all 4 food groups, balancing exercise/rest, and knowing how the body works with all ingredients in foods including portion sizes (fats, calories, starches, carbohydrates, proteins with vitamins and minerals) to understanding how all this information takes effect in how your metabolism operates in being beneficial or against you?   Than get into a workout place or just go to channels on TV/cable that offer classes for free, read up on good foods vs. bad foods as simple as on the internet or even again TV/cable channels and balance rest with exercise; it is just taking action and doing what you need to stay healthy for the heart.

Remember, staying healthy for the heart is being healthy for so many other areas of the body (The heart is the engine to the body and is the only organ that pumps oxygen to our organs through red blood cells and without the pump either none if not pumping at all or low oxygen levels gets to the blood tissues.  Know that without oxygenation to the body tissues is oxygen starvation and we will die).  So, know that in CHF patients the pump or the heart is what is the main issue and many lead into oxygen problems at Grade C or D in congestive heart failure.