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Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious condition in which the heart is not pumping well enough to meet the body's demand for oxygen. This condition has its name due to the heart failing to pump efficiently, which often results in congestion of the lungs. As a result, the heart tries to overcompensate for the problem, which only makes the problem worse.
Incidence; Causes & Development
According to statistics from the American Heart Association, 550,000 new cases of CHF are diagnosed in the United States every year, including 1% of people over the age of 65. Of all newly diagnosed patients, 50% of CHF patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. Males and females appear to be affected about equally, but somewhat more women die from the condition.
Conditions that can lead to CHF include coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart attacks, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease and infections, congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension.
Signs & Symptoms
The initial symptoms of CHF, such as swelling of the ankles, seems so minor that patients may not seek treatment until significant heart damage has already been done.
Treatment & Prevention
A number of different conventional treatments may be prescribed. These include medications such as diuretics and invasive procedures such as a balloon angioplasty with coronary stenting. Severe cases may require surgery.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Congestive Heart Failure:
Conditions that suggest Congestive Heart Failure:
Risk factors for Congestive Heart Failure: | | | | | Metabolic |  Hemochromatosis (Iron overload) | Congestive heart failure occurs in about 7% of symptomatic patients with hemochromatosis. If untreated, patients may develop an acute onset of severe congestive heart failure with rapid progression to death. |
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Symptoms - Food - Beverages |
Counter-indicators:
 Moderate/low alcohol consumption| | A study found that elderly people who drank at least 1.5 drinks per day had a risk of heart failure 47% lower than abstainers, regardless of age, race, blood pressure, history of diabetes, smoking and other factors.
Studies do not justify advising lifelong nondrinkers to start drinking for health, especially because most have good reasons for abstaining. People with liver disease or a history of alcohol abuse should not drink at all, while those with diabetes and hypertension may partake in light alcohol consumption. |
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Tumors, Malignant |
Carcinoid Cancer| | Metastatic carcinoid disease can result in congestive heart failure by causing progressive fibrosis of the right-sided chambers and valves. |
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Congestive Heart Failure can lead to:
Recommendations and treatments for Congestive Heart Failure: | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein |  Acetyl-L-Carnitine |
Botanical |
Hawthorn Berry Extract| | In a sample of 1,011 patients with stage II cardiac insufficiency, a standardized hawthorn extract containing 84mg of oligomeric procyanidins improved ejection fraction and resting pulse rate, and produced a reduction in cardiac arrhythmias. Duration of the study was 24 weeks. [Eur J Heart Fail 2000;2(4): pp.431-7]
Clinical trials with an extract (WS 1442) have successfully demonstrated improved cardiac function and improved quality of life primarily in patients with early stage CHF. For the treatment of early stage CHF, the effective daily dosage of WS 1442 (standardized to 18.75% oligomeric procyanidins) has ranged from 160-900mg per day, divided into 2-3 doses. Benefit has been shown in the 160-480mg per day range. [Fortschr Med 1996;114: pp.291-6] |
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Diet |
 Increased Fruit/Vegetable Consumption| | Whole fruit and fruit and vegetable juice, both high in potassium, are recommended by some doctors for congestive heart failure (CHF). This dietary change should, however, be discussed with a healthcare provider because several drugs given to people with CHF can actually cause retention of potassium, making dietary potassium, even from fruit, dangerous. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and need to be avoided in persons taking potassium-sparing diuretics. |
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Nutrient |
 CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)| | CoQ10 is known to be highly concentrated in heart muscle cells due to the high energy requirements of this cell type. The great bulk of clinical work with CoQ10 has focused on heart disease. Specifically, congestive heart failure (from a wide variety of causes) has been strongly correlated with significantly low blood and tissue levels of CoQ10 [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., vol. 82(3), pp. 901-4].
The severity of heart failure correlates with the severity of CoQ10 deficiency [Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. X(7) pp.497-502]. This CoQ10 deficiency may well be a primary causative factor in some types of heart muscle dysfunction while in others it may be a secondary phenomenon. Whether primary, secondary or both, this deficiency of CoQ10 appears to be a major treatable factor in the otherwise inexorable progression of heart failure.
The efficacy and safety of CoQ10 in the treatment of congestive heart failure, whether related to primary cardiomyopathies or secondary forms of heart failure, appears to be well-established. |
Pantethine
Meyer's Cocktail |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | Strongly counter-indicative | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Arrhythmia (Arrhythmias)
A condition caused by variation in the regular rhythm of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias may cause serious conditions such as shock and congestive heart failure, or even death.
Arterial (Arteries, Artery)
Blood that leaves the heart. When it leaves the right ventricle, it is venous blood; and when it leaves the left ventricle, through the aorta, it is fresh and oxygenated. After it has passed out to the capillaries and started to return, it is venous blood.
Cardiac
Pertaining to the heart, also, pertaining to the stomach area adjacent to the esophagus.
Chronic Renal Failure (Chronic Renal Insufficiency, Kidney Failure, Renal Insufficiency)
(CRF) Irreversible, progressive impaired kidney function. The early stage, when the kidneys no longer function properly but do not yet require dialysis, is known as Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRI). CRI can be difficult to diagnose, as symptoms are not usually apparent until kidney disease has progressed significantly. Common symptoms include a frequent need to urinate and swelling, as well as possible anemia, fatigue, weakness, headaches and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bad breath and itchy skin may develop as toxic metabolites, normally filtered out of the blood by the kidneys, build up to harmful levels. Over time (up to 10 or 20 years), CRF generally progresses from CRI to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD, also known as Kidney Failure). Patients with ESRD no longer have kidney function adequate to sustain life and require dialysis or kidney transplantation. Without proper treatment, ESRD is fatal.
Congestive
Pertaining to accumulation of blood or fluid within a vessel or organ.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Diuretic (Diuretics)
An agent increasing urine flow, causing the kidneys to excrete more than the usual amount of sodium, potassium and water.
Edema
Abnormal accumulation of fluids within tissues resulting in swelling.
Hemochromatosis
A rare disease in which iron deposits build up throughout the body. Enlarged liver, skin discoloration, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure may occur.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Lung (Lungs, Pulmonary)
Organ of the body, located in the chest cavity which is designed to bring oxygen from the air into the blood stream, while also expelling carbon dioxide and other waste gases out of the body. Pulmonary: Related to the lungs.
Metastasize (Metastases, Metastasized, Metastasizes, Metastasizing, Metastatic)
Usually in reference to cancer: to spread, especially destructively.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Pneumonia (Pneumonitis)
Inflammation, usually infectious, of the lungs. Unless the result of only moderate chemical or smoke irritation, it is a potentially life-threatening condition. There are so many defenses against an infection this deep in the body that the very presence of pneumonia signals a pathogen of great virulence or impaired or exhausted immunity, or all three. Pneumonitis: Inflammation of the lungs, from whatever cause. It may be concurrent with pneumonia or pleurisy.
Potassium
A mineral that serves as an electrolyte and is involved in the balance of fluid within the body. Our bodies contain more than twice as much potassium as sodium (typically 9oz versus 4oz). About 98% of total body potassium is inside our cells. Potassium is the principal cation (positive ion) of the fluid within cells and is important in controlling the activity of the heart, muscles, nervous system and just about every cell in the body. Potassium regulates the water balance and acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. Evidence is showing that potassium is also involved in bone calcification. Potassium is a cofactor in many reactions, especially those involving energy production and muscle building.
Last updated: Sep 28, 2008
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