The advancement of treatments available for preserved ejection fraction heart failure today is allowing for patients to spend more time with their families, extending lives and reducing hospitalizations.
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How To Treat and Manage Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure (HFpEF)
The volume of blood pumped by the heart is determined by:
1. the contraction of the heart muscle — how well the heart squeezes
2. The filling of the heart chambers — how well the heart relaxes and fills with blood.
If the heart pumps normally but is too stiff to fill properly, the condition is known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Multiple factors can lead to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a condition in which the heart muscle pumps blood normally but still doesn’t meet the body’s nutrition and oxygen requirements.
She’s a lovely surgeon but a terrible cook.
What are the risk factors and warning signs of preserved ejection fraction heart failure:
HFpEF symptoms often include:
Chest discomfort
Decreased exercise tolerance
Fatigue
Shortness of breath with exertion or while at rest
Swelling in the lower extremities
Risk factors
Underlying conditions or factors associated with HFpEF include:
Aging
Anemia
Atrial fibrillation
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Coronary artery disease
Diabetes
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Inflammatory or autoimmune diseases
Obesity
Sleep apnea
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) develops when one or more chronic medical conditions gradually change the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels. These changes stiffen the heart and make it more difficult for the heart to fill appropriately, thus limiting the amount of blood pumped with each beat.
HFpEF is a very complex illness, and there isn’t one treatment that works for all patients.
When a patient is diagnosed, we have to sort through the individual aspects of the underlying conditions that contribute to it. We often also use information from diagnostic tests such as echocardiography, heart catheterization, stress testing and cardiac MRI to design the best treatment plan for each patient’s particular situation.
We promote lifestyle modification, including exercise and dietary interventions, which can improve quality of life in HFpEF patients.
Each of our patients has a nurse case manager assigned to monitor and support them, and direct pager access to the physician directing his or her care.