What You Need To Know About Heart Failure - Franciscan Health Podcast
Channel: Franciscan Health
Date: 2024-02-18

Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, affects more than 6 million Americans. Heart failure happens when the heart muscle can no longer efficiently pump blood, which can lead to fluid build up in the lungs and limbs and cause shortness of breath. It is considered a life-threatening condition, but it can be managed to a great extent and healthcare professionals work closely with patients to help them avoid having to be readmitted to the hospital.

Controlling your risk factors for heart disease in general can help you avoid heart failure, which usually presents in patients in their 70s. That means controlling your blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight and, if you have diabetes, controlling your blood sugar. Some cancer patients, however, have been known to develop heart failure after receiving cancer treatments, due to the side effects of some medications, such as for breast and colon cancers. Monitoring these patients' heart function during their cancer treatments can help avoid long-term heart damage.

Vijay Rao, MD, PhD, a board-certified cardiologist with Indiana Heart Physicians in Indianapolis and the Medical Director of Cardio-Oncology and Heart Failure at Franciscan Health, discusses congestive failure during the Franciscan Health podcast.

Dr. Rao covers such questions as:
✔️ What are the major causes of heart failure?
✔️ What puts you at risk for congestive heart failure?
✔️ What heart failure symptoms should you look for?
✔️ What are treatment options for heart failure?


Resources from Franciscan Health:
▶️ Heart Scans in Indiana and Illionois
https://www.franciscanhealth.org/screeningbundles
▶️ Heart Failure: Don't Give Up On a Heart That's Giving Out
https://www.franciscanhealth.org/community/blog/heart-failure-dont-give-up-on-a-heart-thats-giving-out

Listen to the Franciscan Health DocPod podcast:
https://www.franciscanhealth.org/podcasts