As the average life expectancy increases and the living environment is modernized, the proportion of infectious diseases is decreasing, but the proportion of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases is greatly increasing. Of course, COVID-19 (COVID-19) is an exception.
It is called the ‘terminal station of heart disease’ and is a terrifying disease that kills 6-7 out of 10 people within 5 years of onset. That’s ‘heart failure’. Heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart is not complete, that is, a loss of heart function that fails to supply sufficient blood containing oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body due to abnormal heart function. However, compared to the risk of heart failure, the awareness and awareness of the general public is largely insufficient.
Kim Mi-jeong, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, said, “Heart failure is similar to a state in which a car cannot operate well due to insufficient fuel or a problem with parts. As a result, the heart does not perform its role properly, so it is not able to supply enough blood containing oxygen and nutrients to each part of the body.”
Various causes such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and atrial fibrillation
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, there were 227,322 patients who visited the hospital for heart failure last year (2020), a 2.4% increase from 222,069 in 2016. By age group, those over 80 years of age accounted for the most with 76,999 (33.9%), followed by 71,224 people in their 70s (31.3%), and 45,218 people in their 60s (19.9%). By gender, there were 133,686 women and 93,636 men, 1.43 times more women.
Heart failure is a type of complication caused by various diseases. Coronary artery disease that supplies blood to the heart, like a damaged or blocked car fuel supply system, accounts for half of the causes, and high blood pressure, myocardial and valvular diseases, and atrial fibrillation are also known as major causes. Causes other than the heart are also involved, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and chemotherapy. The risk of heart failure increases with age alone without any specific disease, with 5.5% of those aged 60 to 70 years and 12% of those over 80 years of age being diagnosed with heart failure.
Kim Mi-jeong, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, said, “The increase in life expectancy and the ability to treat heart diseases such as acute myocardial infarction or arrhythmia without death are one of the reasons for the increase in heart failure. As the number of patients with heart failure continues to increase, it is expected that the number of patients with heart failure will continue to increase.”
Suspected if dyspnea, edema, indigestion, tachycardia, etc.
When heart failure occurs, the most common cause of shortness of breath is pulmonary edema, which collects blood in the lungs. At first, you only get short of breath when you move, but when it gets worse, you can get short of breath even when you are resting or sleeping. Also, if the ankles and calves are swollen and severe, revenge is full. Some patients complain of indigestion, which is a symptom that is accompanied by edema due to insufficient blood supply to the stomach due to the poor pumping function of the heart. The sympathetic nerve is stimulated, causing symptoms of tachycardia, in which the heart beats quickly, and in the elderly, mild cognitive impairment may worsen. These symptoms are common in the debilitated elderly, and many people think that it is because they are older. In severe heart failure, muscle is lost, energy runs, and weight is lost due to lack of appetite.
Professor Kim Mi-jung said, “If you can’t do something you could have done six months or a year ago, you should suspect heart failure. For example, if it used to be easy for two laps in the park, but you get short of breath after just one lap, or if you went up the stairs easily to a few floors but now it’s hard to breathe, it could be a sign of heart failure. It is important to get into the habit of measuring
Stage 4 end-stage heart failure has a higher mortality rate than cancer
There are staging according to the severity of heart failure. It is divided into four stages, from the initial stage with few symptoms to the end stage requiring a heart transplant. Stage 1 is an asymptomatic high-risk group, and treatment is performed to correct each risk factor, such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, alcohol, and smoking. Stage 2 is a condition in which there are currently no symptoms, but an abnormality in the structure or function of the heart has occurred. This applies to patients with diseases such as decreased cardiac contractility, myocardial thickening, and valve abnormalities. Treatment to correct the cause along with drug treatment can prevent the progression to complete heart failure. From stage 3, symptoms begin to appear. Because it is difficult to sleep comfortably due to shortness of breath and swelling, it is necessary to take medication to improve the survival rate along with symptom control drugs such as diuretics. In some cases, surgery or surgery is also performed. Stage 4 is end-stage heart failure, with a higher mortality rate than cancer. In severe cases, it is difficult to see the effect of drugs, and in some cases, a heart transplant or implantation of a cardiac assist device is necessary.
However, even if symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath or edema appear, most patients ignore them as aging or deterioration of physical condition. Also, sometimes heart failure medications may conflict with medications you have been taking for a long time, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or arthritis. It is necessary to accurately determine the heart and pre-existing disease status to redefine treatment priorities.
Professor Kim Mi-jung said, “Heart failure is a progressive disease that accompanies many complications. do,” he urged.
[Tip. 심혈관질환 예방 수칙]
1. Regularize smoking and sobriety.
2. Maintain an appropriate weight and waist circumference.
3. When going out for the elderly, prepare a scarf, hat, gloves, etc. to prepare for a drop in body temperature.
4. 3 days a week, exercise enough to sweat for at least 30 minutes, and stretch enough for at least 3 minutes before exercise.
5. Be aware of the symptoms of stroke and myocardial infarction and immediately go to the hospital when symptoms occur.
6. Drug treatment such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia is continued.
7. Reduce salt and sugar intake, and eat plenty of vegetables and protein.
