Evening star., 1961-08-01
Stop
Killing
Yourself
By PETER J. STEINcRoHN

Dear DR.. Steincrohn: I'm
still confused about the
meaning of ''heart failure"
Doesn't it mean that the
heart is all worn out and
there is no chance for re-
covery? Isn't it more serious
than heart attack2" Sim
cerely, Mrs. o., Washington
DC.
PEOPLE SOMETIMES get
wrong ideas. Doctors are oc-
casionally at fault; most of
the tim e misconceptions
spring up around the neigh
boris back fen ce. For
example, it has taken many
years before people realized
that it isn't true that "every-
body loves the fat man." It
isn't cute any more to be
fat; neither is it healthy.
Same is true for heart
failure. For years most peo-
pie believed that when one
was having heart failure of
one sort or another, he was
on the way out. When you
were a youngster you prob
ably heard many playmates
say: 81 was so scared, I
nearly died of heart failure"
Wen, heart failure doesn't
mean the end is near. The
heart doesn't stop. All it I'M
plies is that the heart mus
Gle isn't as strong as it was.
For some reason, it has be-
come incapable of efficiently
driving the blood to all parts
Of the body.
The patient may experience
various symptoms depend
ing upon the type Of heart
failure Cor weaknessl. Short
ness of breath, swelling of
ankles and legs, tiredness
out Of all proportion to the
amount of work done, cough,
Indigestion, inability to- lie
flat-such are the most i'm
portant symptoms Of a fail
ing heart.
In the so-called heart
attack" which people often
call the onset Of coronary
thrombosis (also angina
pectoris) the trouble comes
on with sudden pain In the
chest and arms. This, too,
is a form of heart failure
and is due to impaired
heart nouriSt1ment because
the coronary arteries have
become narrowed by ather-
oSclerosis, or completely
blocked off.
The doctors job is to dis
cover exactly what is caus-
ing the symptoms of a fall
ing heart. This is important
because recovery depends
upon proper treatment.
For example, if congenital
disease of a child's heart
valve or heart muscle is at
fault, operation can often
transform the little patient
into a, normal human being.
If rheumatic heart disease is
causing the shortness of
breath, we must know it. For,
by giving penicil1in and
other antibiotics, we can pre-
vent further heart damage
by rheumatic infection. If
syphilis is causing the fail
ure, we have drugs to treat
the cause" and thereby
help the heart. If coronary
disease is guilty of the weak
ness in the heart, we can
help with special diets and
by giving drugs to thin the
blood. If the thyroid is over
or-under- active, we give the
proper treatment and the
so : called heart failure" is
miraculously trans % rmed
into a normal heart.
And so it goes, depending
upon each individuals his
tory Of illness and present
condition. Remember that
heart failure" doesn't mean
finiS. I have known patients
who, with proper treatment
and cooperation, lived as
long as 1925 years after a
heart attack" or "heart
failure"
y 4 i
Dear DR.. Steinchron: Will
you tell me the difference be-
tween saturated" and poly
unsaturated" fats? Sincerely,
Mrs. E., Arizona.
THE ORIGIN of saturated
fats is usually animal fats:
butter, cheese, cream, whole
milk, meats. Polysaturated
fats are largely of vegetable
origin: Cotton, corn and soya
oils: also fish oils. In pa
tients with atherosclerosis
and coronary disease, we
usually advise a decreased
intake of the saturated fats
and a substitution of poly
unsaturated fats. This often
helps lower cholesterol.
A Bell Syndicate Feature