What are the ways to recover from left heart failure?

Question

Hi doctor,

My father has had diabetes for the past 15 years and has been suffering from heart problems for the past four years. Recently, he was admitted to the hospital due to severe breathing problems, sudden fainting, loss of appetite, and water accumulation in the stomach and legs. After receiving treatment in the ICU for several days, he was discharged from the hospital and was stable. However, after 40 days, he was again admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. Additionally, laboratory tests such as an echocardiogram and fasting blood sugar were conducted. I am attaching the medical reports.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

After careful review, I can appreciate the sensitivity of the issues you and your family are facing.

Your father appears to have left heart failure, which has led to two hospital admissions. He is experiencing valve issues, particularly with the mitral valve, and all the related symptoms—abdominal swelling, breathing problems, and leg swelling—are due to the heart's failure to pump normally. In this case, we need to pursue a thorough evaluation at a cardiac care hospital. Please search locally for a reputable heart hospital that offers advanced diagnostic testing facilities. After a physical evaluation, the cardiologists can determine if surgical correction of the affected heart valves is necessary.

For his other heart issues, he will need medications permanently to control his blood pressure and minimize the workload on his heart regarding blood pumping and proper irrigation of the body. At his age and with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, conservative management is typically the preferred option. His cardiologist will be best equipped to prescribe heart failure medications for him, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), beta-blockers, and diuretics. I recommend the following lifestyle modifications for your father: smoking cessation, restriction of alcohol consumption, and salt reduction. He is experiencing these issues because his heart muscles are not receiving adequate blood supply. More specific testing, such as angiography, may be needed to diagnose the problem.

Regarding a permanent management plan, it is challenging to provide recommendations without first assessing the heart's blood vessels through angiography. We also need to determine if the heart muscles have been irreversibly damaged due to a lack of blood supply or if there is a chance of reversal. The left ventricle is the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to irrigate the entire body. His left ventricle is functioning below normal, with an ejection fraction (EF) value of less than 35, which indicates poor cardiac pump function.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you.