Heart Health Matters: What You Need to Know About Heart Failure

Your heart works hard every day to keep you healthy and active. But when it isn’t pumping as well as it should, even simple tasks can feel exhausting. Heart failure impacts more than 6 million people in the United States, and the number continues to grow each year. 

UPMC Passavant offers specialized services through the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, one of the world’s premier cardiovascular centers. With the right care team by your side, a heart failure diagnosis doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

What is Heart Failure?

Despite the name, heart failure does not mean that your heart has actually failed — or completely stopped. Heart failure happens when your heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood through your body. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs, it tries to make up for it by:

• Beating faster so more blood can be pumped out. 

• Enlarging to pump more blood out.

• Thickening to increase muscle mass so it can pump better.

  
  

Heart failure can happen for two reasons. The heart becomes too weak and is unable to pump effectively, known as reduced ejection fraction. Or the heart is too stiff or thick to relax and fill properly, known as preserved ejection fraction. 

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that advanced heart failure occurs equally as often in women and men. Still, there are some differences between sexes. Women more commonly have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In the study, women were older when they were diagnosed with advanced heart failure. They also had more high blood pressure and less coronary artery disease than men with advanced heart failure.

Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure

Some people who have heart failure do not have any symptoms, but other people experience symptoms that range from mild to severe. Heart failure symptoms may include:

• Awakening with shortness of breath.

• Coughing or wheezing that won’t go away.

• Difficulty concentrating or staying alert.

• Extreme tiredness.

• Lack of appetite and/or nausea.

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat.

• Shortness of breath with activity

• Shortness of breath when laying down, or waking up at night with shortness of breath,

• Sleeping with extra pillows or needing to sleep in a chair to ease breathing.

• Sudden weight gain and bloating.

• Swelling in your legs or abdomen.

• Weakness or low energy

  
  

Heart failure affects more than just your heart. When your heart isn’t pumping enough blood, your blood vessels work harder and raise your blood pressure. Your liver may feel strain too, as higher blood pressure can lead to scarring over time. Fluid can build up in your lungs, making it harder to breathe. Your kidneys might not get enough blood to filter waste, which can increase your risk of kidney problems. Even your stomach can be affected — poor blood flow can make digestion harder, leaving you feeling tired and low energy. 

Preventing Heart Failure

Certain health conditions can increase your risk of heart failure, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, severe lung disease, and thyroid disorders. If you have any of these conditions, it’s important to talk with your doctor about your risk of heart failure. Heart failure can also be genetic, so make sure your doctor is aware of your family history.

Controlling blood pressure is critical in preventing heart failure and slowing its progression. To lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels:

• Avoid smoking.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet.

• Exercise. 

• Limit alcoholic beverages. 

• Maintain a healthy weight.

  
  

Some experts think women may have increased expression of cytokines (molecules involved in inflammation), which can affect vascular health and heart function. In addition, pregnancy can increase heart failure risk due to complications like preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure.  

Living With Heart Failure

An advanced heart failure diagnosis doesn’t mean you can’t live a long and healthy life. Your doctor’s goal is to help reduce the strain on your heart and support your quality of life. This often includes making some lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and staying active with an exercise routine that works for you.

Self-care is key. Your doctor may recommend limiting fluids to about two liters a day and following a low-sodium diet of less than 2,000 mg daily. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and vaping. Weigh yourself every morning and report sudden weight gains—more than 2 to 3 pounds in two days or 4 to 5 pounds in one week.

Your doctor may prescribe medications to help control your symptoms, keep you out of the hospital, and improve your chances of living longer. Every patient is different, so your treatment plan will be personalized for you.

Take your medications as prescribed and let your doctor know if you have side effects or cost concerns. Exercise programs or cardiac rehab can also help improve your strength and energy.

If medications and other treatments aren’t enough, your doctor might talk with you about surgical options, such as a ventricular assist device (VAD) or even a heart transplant. These are usually considered when other treatments haven’t worked.

UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Evaluation Clinic Close to Home

Located at UPMC Passavant’s Cranberry Township campus, the Advanced Heart Failure Evaluation Clinic provides advanced cardiac services, including evaluations for both VAD treatment and heart transplantation. The UPMC team will work together to determine if a heart transplant or VAD is right for you during a single trip to the evaluation clinic.  

The UPMC team assesses every person referred to the program. UPMC’s cardiologists and surgeons work together to decide the treatment option that is right for you. The evaluation will help the team determine which care pathway provides the highest likelihood for the best possible outcome based on your condition and medical history. The evaluation includes:

• Blood work.

• Diagnostic testing.

• Multiple consultations with the heart transplant care team.

• Review of your medical and psychosocial history.

  
  

From your first heart consult through world-class treatment and post-surgery care, UPMC experts are here for you every step of the way.

UPMC’s Legacy of Excellence 

The UPMC Heart Transplant Program is among the top centers in the nation for patient outcomes as reported by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). In addition to achieving excellent outcomes, UPMC was the highest volume transplant center in Pennsylvania in 2023. UPMC’s advanced heart failure experts have pioneered transplant and VAD technology for more than 40 years. UPMC was the first medical center to discharge a patient with a VAD in 1990 and is one of a few centers that has heart recipients living 40 years or more after transplant. This is a testament to the team’s commitment to providing each patient with advanced, long-term care. 

Your heart health matters. The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Passavant is dedicated to providing the community with comprehensive cardiovascular care close to home. From basic diagnostic tests to advanced cardiac imaging to state-of-the-art surgical procedures, our nationally recognized cardiac experts have you covered. 

To learn more, or schedule an appointment with our experts, visit UPMC.com/Heart.