How serious is it?
Heart failure is a serious lifelong illness that can be treated but not cured. Without treatment, heart failure becomes gradually worse, and can lead to a shortened life expectancy. People with heart failure may need to be admitted to hospital if they develop new symptoms, or their existing symptoms get worse.
The symptoms of heart failure can severely limit a person’s ability to go about their daily life. This is often referred to as their “functional capacity”. Heart failure can interfere with almost any aspect of life, including work, social life, family life, hobbies, general sense of wellbeing, and quality of life.
Complications
As well as the problems caused by heart failure itself, the illness has complications, some of which can be life threatening. Complications of heart failure include:
Heart failure is a very serious illness that can seriously foreshorten a patient’s life expectancy. The outlook for an individual patient is influenced by factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, how severe the heart failure is, and if he/she is also suffering from other medical conditions. Fortunately, there are several treatments for heart failure that can improve a person’s quality of life and help to extend life expectancy.
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Reduced functional capacity
The symptoms of heart failure can severely limit a person’s ability to go about their daily life. This is often referred to as their “functional capacity”. Heart failure can interfere with almost any aspect of life, including work, social life, family life, hobbies, general sense of wellbeing, and quality of life.
Complications
As well as the problems caused by heart failure itself, the illness has complications, some of which can be life threatening. Complications of heart failure include: - Fluid on the lungs (pulmonary congestion)
- Total failure of the heart to function (circulatory collapse, cardiogenic shock)
- Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), some of which can cause sudden death
- Blood clots, which may travel to the brain, legs, or lungs and cause serious damage
- Adverse effects of the medications taken to treat heart failure
Mortality
Heart failure is a very serious illness that can seriously foreshorten a patient’s life expectancy. The outlook for an individual patient is influenced by factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, how severe the heart failure is, and if he/she is also suffering from other medical conditions. Fortunately, there are several treatments for heart failure that can improve a person’s quality of life and help to extend life expectancy.
Additional information
