Heart Failure Archive

Palliative care for heart failure aims to improve quality of life for patients and their families by addressing physical symptoms, and also emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual issues. This may include treating anxiety and depression in patients and supporting caregivers, who may be dealing with stress and worry. Palliative care also includes talking with patients about their personal goals and what matters most to them, which can help guide their care as the illness progresses.

Ejection fraction is the fraction (expressed as a percentage) of the blood that the heart "ejects" out to the rest of the body when it contracts. Low ejection fraction signals one form of heart failure. An echocardiogram is the standard test to measure ejection fraction.

Even slightly elevated blood sugar levels—a condition known as pre-diabetes—may raise the risk of cardiovascular problems. But attention to weight loss and greater use of medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol appear to reduce the risk.

A 2023 study found that most people who are hospitalized for heart failure aren't being referred for cardiac rehabilitation. The rehab is a recommended, medically supervised three-month program (covered by Medicare) that significantly lengthens life.

A 2023 Harvard study found that regularly squeezing a week's worth of exercise (150 minutes) into just one or two days—a "weekend warrior" approach—is linked to the same heart-healthy benefits as daily exercise.

Lower temperatures, high wind speed, atmospheric pressure, high precipitation, and high degrees of pollution may raise the risk of being hospitalized for serious heart-related conditions. Modeling these factors may help forecast future heart problems.

Several health issues are associated with nighttime coughing. Some of the most common are postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), medication side effects, and heart failure. When a new nighttime cough lasts more than a few weeks, it's important to go to a doctor to rule out dangerous causes, such as heart failure. The doctor can also determine if a drug side effect, postnasal drip, or GERD is causing the cough, and prescribe medications to treat the condition.