<< Back to Diseases

Heart Failure

What can a doctor do to treat heart failure?
Heart failure varies from mild to severe. People with mild heart failure may not require very aggressive therapy -- just medicines like ACE inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) and beta blockers, as well as a "prescription" for a healthy lifestyle. As your disease progresses, your doctor may also prescribe diuretics and, rarely, digoxin (Lanoxin ), which will help keep your symptoms under control.
Diuretics -- drugs that help flush fluids out of your body -- are often very helpful, and as a bonus, these drugs can also help reduce blood pressure. Other types of blood pressure drugs can also give you a double dose of benefits. ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers can all open up your blood vessels, which means your heart won't have to work so hard to deliver blood. Beta blockers, another type of medicine, work to slow down your heart and can give you increased strength and stamina. If your condition is severe, beta blockers can even help prolong life. Other drugs that your doctor might consider prescribing include digitalis to strengthen your heart, or nitroglycerin to relax your vessels. Sometimes aldosterone antagonists, like spironolactone, are used in more advanced cases of the disease.
If your heart is damaged, surgery may be necessary to relieve your heart failure. Depending on your situation, that could mean something as simple as a pacemaker or as dramatic as a heart transplant. A pacemaker is an electronic, battery-powered device implanted under the skin. If your heart drops below a certain rate set by your doctor, it sends a series of impulses to "kickstart" your heart back into a more normal rhythm.
A surgeon may be able to give your heart new strength by repairing or replacing a valve, or by replacing clogged vessels (coronary artery bypass surgery).
If you need a heart transplant, it means replacing a diseased or damaged heart with a healthy organ. You'll most likely be placed on a donor list to receive a new heart. If you're placed on a waiting list, your doctor may recommend surgery to implant a left-ventricle assist device (LVAD). Called a "bridge to transplantation," it is often recommended for those hospitalized because of end-stage heart failure who have to wait for a new heart.
Your doctor will also want to treat any problems that might be further weakening your heart. If you have diabetes, for instance, controlling your blood sugar can help protect your heart from any more damage. If you have high blood pressure, bringing your numbers down will be a top priority.