Congestive Heart Failure: Risk Factors, Influence

Congestive heart failure (CHF), popularly known as heart failure, affects a significant population globally. According to Mayo Clinic (2020), CHF refers to a chronic condition, which adversely affects the heart muscle’s pumping power. Specifically, it denotes the stage when the fluid accumulates within the heart, causing it to pump inefficiently. Fundamentally, CHF does not necessarily signify a total shutdown of the heart but a slower functioning rate than the average level leading to feelings of dizziness, fatigue, and breathlessness, among other symptoms.

Several CHF risk factors exist, including obesity, diabetes, smoking, myocarditis, anemia, thyroid problems, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis. For instance, heart muscle inflammation or myocarditis emanates mainly from a virus, leading to left-sided heart failure (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Additionally, CHF may arise from other health illnesses, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and valve conditions, which affect a person’s cardiovascular system directly. For example, fatty substances and cholesterol may block the coronary arteries, narrowing them and ultimately restricting blood flow. Some CHF signs include fatigue, breathing difficulty, irregular heartbeat, and chest pain, among others. Although CHF has no cure and can be life-threatening, seeking immediate medical assistance and treatment can help an individual have a productive life. According to Acharya et al. (2019), the elderly, principally women and Africans-Americans above 64 years old, are the most affected. However, other population segments also experience CHF at a relatively low rate, irrespective of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.

CHF is a condition that negatively influences heart functioning due to inefficient pumping of blood. It has been a significant problem among the aged worldwide, especially women and African Americans who have reported the most cases. Any person experiencing heart failure signs, such as chest pain, fatigue, and irregular heartbeat, should seek medical attention immediately. Although physicians cannot reverse the heart damage, they can offer symptom relief, thus improving a patient’s quality of life.

References

Acharya, U. R., Fujita, H., Oh, S. L., Hagiwara, Y., Tan, J. H., Adam, M., & San Tan, R. (2019). Deep convolutional neural network for the automated diagnosis of congestive heart failure using ECG signals. Applied Intelligence, 49(1), 16-27. Web.

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Heart failure: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Web.