The V Taper Body and a Lower Risk of Heart Failure
The opposite of a V taper build – that opposite being a waist-to-height ratio of over 0.5, is a strong predictor of chronic heart failure – much more accurate than BMI. […]
Can Heart Failure Cause ONLY Edema and No Other Symptoms?
Can someone have ONLY edema from chronic heart failure yet have no other symptoms such as easy fatigue from activities that normally never tired them? […]
Zero Calcium Score but Ejection Fraction of 50%
Can a zero calcium score be a benefit to or help offset the beginning of heart failure if your ejection fraction is 50%? […]
How Low Must Ejection Fraction Be Before It Causes Symptoms?
At what percentage must ejection fraction in chronic heart failure get before you begin having symptoms? Is there a clear cutoff percentage? […]
Five Steps to Help You Live with Chronic Heart Failure
If you have chronic heart failure, you need to implement these five changes that will ease the burden of this disease. […]
Can You Have Mild Heart Failure and Not Know It?
Chronic heart failure comes in four stages including what a layperson might say is mild. […]
How Long Can Chronic Heart Failure Last?
You or someone close has just been diagnosed with chronic heart failure and you’re wondering how long this will last, even with the best treatment. […]
Can Several Bathroom Trips Overnight Mean a Heart Problem?
Are you getting up several times overnight to urinate and wonder if this means a heart problem? […]
Shortness of Breath from COVID-19 vs. Heart Disease
Shortness of breath is a common symptom of COVID-19, but feeling short of breath may also be a prominent symptom of blocked arteries or a weak heart. […]
Why Does High Blood Pressure Damage the Heart and Kidneys?
Ever wonder just how high blood pressure wreaks havoc on the kidneys and heart? […]
Does Excessive Sleep Raise Heart Disease Risk in Athletes?
Even athletes and gym rats can have a habit of getting too much sleep. It’s already known that excess sleep in general isn’t healthy. […]
Can Chronic Heart Failure Be Missed by an MRA?
Is it possible for a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) to miss detecting chronic heart failure? The MR angiogram is typically used to measure the function of one's heart. An MR angiogram is a type of [...]
89 over 69 Blood Pressure: Can this Be Normal?
Is the top number of your blood pressure reading sometimes 89 and the bottom number 69? Does a blood pressure of 89 over 69 necessarily indicate a medical problem? […]
Five Ways to Lower Resting Heart Rate without Drugs
If you want to lower your fast resting heart rate without drugs that can cause side effects, there are at least five natural ways to do this. […]
How Might Chronic Heart Failure Affect the Liver?
Patients with chronic heart failure often have insufficient renal function, thanks to reduced blood flow. But what about liver dysfunction resulting from the reduced blood flow? […]
Why Are Kidney Problems So Common with Chronic Heart Failure?
Kidney problems seem to go hand-in-hand with chronic heart failure – and that’s because they DO go hand-in-hand with this common but serious condition. […]
Why Don’t All People with Cardiorenal Syndrome Get Drug Treatment?
What contraindicates drug treatment in cardiorenal syndrome if the only drugs that can reverse the condition—or at least—extend survival, might cause further kidney injury? […]
Is Your Ejection Fraction Very Low? How Long Can You Live ?
If you’ve been told you have a very low ejection fraction, just how long can you expect to live? When the ejection fraction is below 20 to 25 percent, it’s considered to be “severely reduced.” [...]
How to Increase Survival Odds with Very Low Ejection Fraction
How long you can survive, once being diagnosed with a very low ejection fraction, depends quite a bit on what you intend on doing about this common affliction. A very low ejection fraction may be [...]
What’s a Normal Ejection Fraction for Elderly of Various Ages?
Do elderly people in various age brackets have an associated “normal” ejection fraction? […]
Can Kidneys Suddenly Decompensate in Chronic Heart Failure?
In chronic heart failure can your kidneys suddenly get a lot worse even though the echocardiogram says your cardiac functioning has been stable for several years? […]
Which Is First in Cardiorenal Syndrome: Heart or Kidney Failure?
Cardiorenal failure is a classic chicken-or-egg scenario, in that it’s not always clear-cut which came first: heart failure or kidney failure. […]
Can Heart Decompensation Occur at Higher Ejection Fractions?
So can acute decompensated heart failure occur with higher ejection fractions? In other words, with mild to moderately reduced ejection fraction in the range of 40 to 50%? […]
Can a Person Live to 100 with Chronic Heart Failure?
Just how long CAN a person with chronic heart failure live? First off, not all people with chronic heart failure experience congestion (which causes fluid retention). […]
Mortality Rate of Cardiorenal Syndrome by Age Bracket
Medical journals typically refer to the age bracket of “over 65” when discussing the mortality or survival rates of cardiorenal syndrome. […]
Can Mental Stress Make Chronic Heart Failure Worse?
Chronic heart failure in the elderly has a poor prognosis, but is this made worse if one is subjected to chronic stress vs. if they weren’t? We surely know that chronic stress can contribute to [...]
Feeling Pulse in Finger Wherever You Press It: Is this Normal?
Have you noticed that sometimes, when your index or middle finger is against ANY part of your body, you feel a pulse—and you realize that this heartbeat is emanating from your fingertip? [...]
Weakness & Fatigue of Chronic Heart Failure vs. ALS: Comparison
Both chronic heart failure and ALS cause weakness and fatigue. For both conditions, here is a detailed rundown of the differences and maybe some similarities between fatigue vs. weakness. […]
Can Chronic Heart Failure Lead to Liver Failure?
The kidneys get all the attention as the organ that fails secondary to chronic heart failure. However, the liver, which the heart pumps 25 percent of its blood flow to, will also decline with chronic [...]
What Is a Plethoric IVC?
A medical report might say that the patient has a “plethoric IVC.” Here is a full description in plain English of what a plethoric IVC is and what causes it. “The heart is a pump,” [...]
Heart Pounds after Bending Over, Standing Back Up
If your heart pounds or races after bending over and then standing back up, there is good news and also bad news for you. […]
Resting Heart Rate Is 95: Does this Mean Heart Trouble?
Are you unnerved by those studies showing a link between resting heart rates of 95 and all-cause mortality? Isn’t an RHR of 75 better than 95? […]
Ascites, Jaundice, Mental Impairment in Chronic Heart Failure
Suppose an elderly person with chronic heart failure starts getting ascites and suddenly develops jaundice and change in mental status. The triad of ascites, jaundice and visible ascites (even mild) is often associated with cirrhosis [...]
Can Acute Liver Damage from Heart Failure Cause Ascites?
Ascites has many potential causes, but liver disease is notorious for causing this abdominal fluid buildup. What if heart failure is behind the liver disease? […]
Can Ischemic Hypoxic Liver Cause Hepatorenal Syndrome 1 ?
Ischemic or hypoxic liver (lack of oxygen) can be caused by heart failure, and it’s logical to wonder if this can lead to hepatorenal syndrome type 1 – which has a very dismal prognosis. [...]
Does Your Heart Race and Thump? Obesity May Be the Cause
Being obese, no matter how body positive you are, can cause a racing heart or one that thumps and has an irregular rhythm. The excess fat in one's body can lead to an arrhythmia, specifically [...]
How Likely Can a Salty Diet Cause Heart Failure?
Chronic heart failure is such an ugly disease that you should do everything possible to prevent it including limiting your salt intake. “High salt intake is associated with a doubled risk of chronic heart failure, [...]
Benign Causes of Both Ankles Being Swollen & Puffy and Treatment
You can’t always tell by simply looking at your swollen puffy ankles if the cause is serious or benign. If you’re worried about the bilateral swelling in your ankles, especially if it seems to be [...]
Treating Pneumonia in the Elderly with Heart Failure
Here’s what you need to know about treatment if your elderly family member is diagnosed with pneumonia but has pre-existing heart failure. Pre-existing heart failure poses a significant risk of higher mortality when such patients [...]
Why Chronic Heart Failure Patients Should Exercise the Legs
Exercised legs are very important for chronic heart failure patients. Don’t assume that legs don’t matter just because they’re far from the heart. […]