Drug List, Surgical Approach, and Daily Care Plan for Patients with Heart Failure

How to choose treatment if you have heart failure?

Your doctor may suggest that you start with medication and lifestyle changes to gradually ease symptoms and improve heart function. However, if these two types of measures do not work, or even if symptoms worsen, you may need hospital treatment, even surgery.

1. Drugs

If you start taking medicine for heart failure, remember to take it on time under guidance of your doctor. The most commonly used medicines for heart failure are:

  • Aldosterone antagonists
  • ACE inhibitors
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  • neprilysin angiotensin receptor inhibitor
  • Beta blockers
  • Vasodilators
  • Calcium channel blockers (unless you have systolic heart failure)
  • Digoxin
  • Diuretics
  • Medicines for heart pump
  • Potassium or magnesium
  • Selective sinus node inhibitors
  • 2. Selection of surgical and medical equipment

    Regardless of which method is used, our goal is to make heart work better and deliver blood better to all organs and parts of body.

    Heart bypass surgery uses a blood vessel from other parts of body to cross a narrowed/blocked blood vessel and connect two ends to "continue blood supply".

    Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). When heart beat is out of control (arrhythmia), it can aggravate heart failure. This treatment uses a pacemaker that sends synchronized electrical impulses to lower chambers of heart (left and right ventricles) so that their pumps work better and more in sync. Doctors may call this a biventricular pacemaker. He can also connect it to an ICD (see below).

    Heart valve surgery. If a failed heart valve is causing heart failure, your doctor may recommend that you repair or replace it. The surgeon can repair or replace valve.

    Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This device is similar to a pacemaker. Place it under skin on your chest. Wires run through your veins to your heart to track your heart rate. If your heart begins to beat in a dangerous rhythm or stops, ICD will try to stimulate your heart or return it to a normal rhythm. The ICD can also act as a pacemaker, speeding up heart if it is too slow.

    Infarction exclusion surgery (modified DOR or DOR surgery). When a heart attack occurs in left ventricle (lower left chamber of heart), a scar forms, a thin patch that bulges out with each beat, forming what is called an aneurysm (aneurysm). Cardiac surgeon It can be carved.

    Ventricular assist device. The doctor places it on abdomen or chest and attaches it to heart to help it carry blood to rest of body. VAD is most commonly used in left ventricle of heart, but it can also be used in right or both ventricles.

    Heart transplant. It sounds incredible, but complexity is actually very high. This is basically a "last resort" method.

    How can we prevent worsening heart failure?

    1. Self-monitoring of symptoms, weigh yourself daily, check for changes in fluid accumulation in body, observe for edema in body.

    2. See your doctor regularly to make sure you are healthy and your heart failure is not getting worse. Your doctor will ask you to review your weight and medication list.

    3. If you have questions, write them down and let your doctor know at your follow-up visit;

    4. Tell all doctors you have seen about your history of heart failure, any medications you have taken, and any contraindications you may have.

    Other ways:

  • If you smoke, stop smoking.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Control your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Don't drink.
  • Better lifestyle

    Eat a healthy diet. Limit your salt intake to 1500 mg per day, eat foods rich in fiber and potassium, reduce saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar, and remember to lose weight if you are obese.

    Exercise regularly. A regular program of moderate, regular exercise can improve your symptoms and strength and make you feel better. It can also slow symptoms of heart failure and prevent further progression of heart failure.

    Fatigue and overload resistance. Appropriate exercises, but do not force them, give your body enough time to rest;

    Prevention of lung infections. Heart failure patients are prone to lung infections, so it is important to prevent lung infections as lung infections can also aggravate heart failure symptoms.

    Take your medications as directed. Take your medicine on time and according to amount, and never stop taking your medicine without permission, which can aggravate and worsen symptoms. Of course, remember to take your medicine under guidance of a doctor - this is the most important thing. .

    Get emotional or psychological support if you need it. Do not face difficulties alone. If you need help when you're having difficulty, be sure to tell your family, friends, and co-workers not to be left alone so you don't be dangerous if no one else is around in case of a heart attack. emergency failure.