The BNP level is a strong predictor of risk of death and cardiovascular events in patients previously diagnosed with heart failure or cardiac dysfunction.
Cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is defined as having too much cholesterol—a waxy, fatty substance—in the blood. Having either high LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) or low HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)—or both—is one of the best predictors of your risk of heart disease.
In a subgroup of patients, the 2 well-known biomarkers (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) emerged as the most powerful predictors of outcome.
There are a number of precipitating factors that can cause an episode of heart failure decompensation. The most frequent are respiratory infection, transgression in dietary recommendations, non-compliance with pharmacological treatment, hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias.
Dyspnea, a cardinal symptom of a failing heart, often progresses from dyspnea on exertion to orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and dyspnea on rest. Cough, usually nocturnal and nonproductive, may accompany dyspnea and often occurs in similar settings (i.e., on exertion or when the patient is supine).
Peripheral edema, breathlessness on exercise, and pulmonary rales had the best sensitivity and specificity to detect HF.
Abnormal findings that suggest heart failure
High blood pressure (130/80 mm Hg or above) or low blood pressure is present. Low blood pressure could be a sign of late-stage heart failure. A third heart sound (indicating abnormal movement of blood through the heart) is heard. Heart murmurs may or may not be present.
The Nation's Risk Factors and CDC's Response. Leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.
Coronary artery disease, heart attack, and high blood pressure are the main causes and risk factors of heart failure. Other diseases that damage or weaken the heart muscle or heart valves can also cause heart failure. Heart failure is most common in people over age 65, African-Americans, and women.
All of the lifestyle factors that increase your risk of heart attack and stroke – smoking, being overweight, eating foods high in fat and cholesterol and physical inactivity – can also contribute to heart failure.
Advanced age, male sex, diabetes mellitus, history of smoking, and chronic kidney disease were associated with the increased risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality (Table 2).
Conclusions Male sex, less education, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, overweight, diabetes, hypertension, valvular heart disease, and coronary heart disease are all independent risk factors for CHF.
Some research (e.g., Johnston, 1993) has concentrated on hostility, arguing that the Type A behavior pattern is characterized by underlying hostility which is a major factor leading to coronary heart disease.
Heart Rate Is a Better Predictor of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Than Heart Rate Variability in Overweight/Obese Children: The ActiveBrains Project - PMC. The .
Cholesterol deposits, or plaques, are almost always to blame. These buildups narrow your arteries, decreasing blood flow to your heart. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath or even a heart attack.
The most common cause of right-sided heart failure is actually left-sided heart failure. But other conditions, such as certain lung diseases, can cause the right ventricle to fail even when there is no problem with your left ventricle.
High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs is called pulmonary hypertension. It is the most common cause of cor pulmonale. In people who have pulmonary hypertension, changes in the small blood vessels inside the lungs can lead to increased blood pressure in the right side of the heart.
In a Mayo Clinic series of 120 consecutive patients with high-output HF diagnosed between 2000 and 2014, the most common causes were obesity (31 percent), liver disease (22.5 percent), arteriovenous shunts (22.5 percent), lung disease (16 percent), and myeloproliferative disorders (8 percent) [1].
Modifiable risk factors include: smoking high blood pressure diabetes physical inactivity being overweight high blood cholesterol. The good news is that the effect of many risk factors can be changed (you cannot change the risk factor, only its effect).
Heart failure can cause foot, ankle, leg, or abdominal swelling. In rare cases, swelling can occur in the veins of the neck. Fluid retention can cause sudden weight gain and frequent urination.
Heart failure signs and symptoms may include: Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down. Fatigue and weakness.
Symptoms of CHF can include shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing, swollen ankles or legs, weight gain, fatigue, and heart palpitations. 1 A CHF exacerbation can be triggered by many factors, such as high salt intake and lung infections.
Exertional breathlessness is a frequent presenting symptom in heart failure, although it is a common symptom in the general population, particularly in patients with pulmonary disease. Dyspnoea is therefore moderately sensitive, but poorly specific, for the presence of heart failure.