Systolic Heart Failure Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

The heart is one of the most important parts of our body. Its main function is to pump blood and nutrients throughout the body. Unfortunately, heart failure cannot work properly to pump blood and cannot do other functions in our body when heart failure occurs.

As a result, heart failure has become a prevalent disease worldwide. Heart failure can be acute (short- time) and chronic (ongoing). Depending on the pumping ability, Heart failure is classified by the following:

1. Failure with reduced pumping ability (Systolic heart failure)
2. Failure with preserved pumping ability (Diastolic heart failure)

Both heart failure is left-sided and can lead to right-sided heart failure.

Systolic Heart Failure Explain

Systolic heart failure means the heart is not contracting properly during the heart beating. It generally occurs when the heart’s left ventricle cannot contract well. So, systolic heart failure means the heart will not pump enough blood to move through the body efficiently to support another body’s organ.

It is a problem with how the left ventricle pumps blood or fills improperly with blood. Generally, it happens when the heart becomes more significant, more prominent, and weak.

Types Of Systolic Heart Failure

As we know, two types of heart failure conditions happen to our hearts. In this article, I’ll talk about only Systolic heart failure. Systolic heart failure is classified into two types:

1. Acute Systolic Heart Failure: Generally, it occurs suddenly and is often considered a medical
   emergency.
2. Chronic Systolic Heart Failure: This heart failure typically occurs over time and is caused by other heart conditions such as high blood pressure, damaged heart, coronary artery disease, etc.

Causes of Systolic Heart Failure

Heart failure is a sudden disease or difficult heart condition. In the long-term way, someday, the heart stops working properly, which causes heart failure. That could happen for many reasons. The most common cause of systolic heart failure is known to us. The following reasons can cause systolic heart failure:

• High blood pressure
• Drug and alcohol consumption
• Abnormal structure of heart muscle
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Heart muscle-damaging by chemotherapy
• Some diseases such as HIV and diabetes can cause it
• Narrow heart muscle
• Coronary artery disease
• Hypertension
• Infection and inflammation in the heart
• Valvular heart disease(stenosis or regurgitant)

Symptoms of Systolic Heart Failure

Identify Systolic Heart failure is not that difficult. However, we can guess that we must talk with a specialist to decide or reach any final decision. In most cases, people with systolic heart failure will have the following symptoms:

• Rapid and irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling of the abdomen
• Lack of appetite
• Swelling of legs, ankles, and feet
• Reduce tolerance to exercise
• Chest pain
• Decreased alertness
• Weakness or fatigue
• More need to pee at night etc.

Diagnosis of Systolic Heart Failure

Whereas heart failure is a serious heart condition, systolic heart failure is difficult to diagnose. No single diagnosis criteria for systolic heart failure is available. It may include several tests, which are:

1. Blood Test: The blood test measures kidney, liver, and thyroid function and looks for other diseases that may cause systolic heart failure. The NT-proBNP teat helps to show if there is any heart failure.
2. Chest X-ray: A common type of imaging shows an enlargement of the heart and build-up in the lungs. It can also show congestion.
3. Echocardiogram: An ultrasound exam uses sound waves to take a moving image of heart chambers.
4. Electrocardiogram (EKG): It measures the heart’s electrical activity and determines if the part of the heart is damaged, enlarged or overworked. The sticky tape detects electrical currents by 12-15 electrodes attached to the chest, arms, and legs.
5. Stress Testing: It is also known as the exercise test because this test is done during exercise. It measures heart response and shows changes when the heart has to work hard. Other imaging tests are also done, like computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), or nuclear scan to look at the heart muscle.

Treatment Of Systolic Heart Failure

Systolic heart failure is a chronic condition, and there is no cure for systolic heart failure. Most people and generally treated with medications and lifestyle changes, but it rarely goes away completely. Depending on symptoms and causes, the patient may be prescribed some medicines.

1. Diuretics
2. Aldosterone antagonists
3. Beta-blockers
4. Digoxin
5. F-channel blockers
6. Angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitors
7. Angiotensin II receptor blockers etc.

Suppose Surgery is needed in some cases to control systolic heart failure symptoms and prevent further damage. Those are:

1. Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Insertion of a specialized pacemaker to restore normal, coordinated pumping of the right and left sides of the heart.
2. Coronary Bypass Surgery: Blood vessels from the legs, arm, or chest bypass a blocked artery in the heart so blood can flow through the heart more freely.
3. Heart Pumps: Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are implanted into the abdomen or chest and attached to a weakened heart both help pump blood to the body.
4. Heart Transplant: Replacing an affected heart with a healthy donor heart improves survival and quality of life for those with severe systolic heart failure.
5. Heart Valve Repair or Replacement: Original valves can be modified to correct blood flow and repair valves by reconnecting valve leaflets, removing excess valve tissue, tightening or replacing the ring around the valve, and so on.

Systolic Heart Failure Ejection Fraction

Ejection fraction is an important heart test that helps measure blood leaving the heart each time of contracts. Heart Failure Ejection fraction indicates how well the heart’s left ventricle (or right ventricle) pumps blood during each heartbeat. This ejection fraction measurement is a % of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction.

Don’t take it easy if you have several severe disease symptoms; go to the doctor or a specialist for proper treatment.