Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood through the body. It is caused by conditions that either weaken the heart muscle or make the heart stiff. Congestive heart failure can lead to a range of symptoms that reduce your quality of life or seriously impact your health.

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At MU Health Care, our heart failure experts provide a full range of treatment options for congestive heart failure, working with you to improve your heart’s strength and function, reducing your symptoms and improving your quality of life.

Our cardiology team has been recognized as a Gold Plus by the American Heart Association for quality in treating heart failure. As a patient at an academic health system like MU Health Care, you have access to the most advanced therapies including medications and procedures to improve your heart function. Clinical trials and research can offer you treatments that are not widely available, helping doctors tailor your care based on your condition.

Symptoms and risk factors for heart failure

Some preexisting heart conditions can put you at risk for heart failure. That’s why it’s important you work with your doctor to identify and manage these conditions to keep your heart as healthy as possible.

Conditions that put you at risk include:

If your heart starts to fail, you may notice symptoms such as:

  • Pounding or racing heartbeats (palpitations)
  • Tiring easily
  • Trouble breathing when you exercise
  • Weakness or dizziness
  • Bloating or nausea
  • Coughing when you lie down
  • Frequent urination, especially at night
  • Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet
  • Unexplained weight gain

If you experience these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. Without treatment, the condition may worsen.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure

Diagnosis is an important step in caring for heart failure. A timely diagnosis helps prevent symptoms, as well as damage to the heart, kidneys and other areas of the body, and the right diagnosis helps you and your doctor plan the right treatment for you.

If you have risk factors or symptoms of heart failure, your doctor may order tests to see how your heart functions.

You may need a combination of tests, which can include:

  • Blood tests
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG)
  • Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
  • Chest X-ray
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Cardiac MRI
  • Stress test
  • Event monitor (to check for arrhythmias)
  • Genetic test (cheek swab to detect gene mutations responsible for heart failure)

MU Health Care’s heart experts offer advanced cardiac imaging to diagnose heart failure and other conditions. We offer the latest radiation-free heart imaging techniques, such as a cardiac MRI or MRI stress test, to reduce your exposure to radiation while accurately diagnosing your condition.

Our specialists use a team approach to help improve heart function and address symptoms caused by heart failure. Our cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, nurses, dietitians and other health care professionals guide you through treatment, ensuring you receive personalized care for all your needs.

The specialists on your care team have years of experience caring for patients with heart failure and offer treatments such as:

Medicines and Lifestyle Changes

Medicines to control blood pressure, heart rhythm or other factors can help your heart work more efficiently. Your physician may prescribe these medicines along with lifestyle changes — such as exercising more, reducing salt intake and losing weight — that can improve your heart’s function

Implantable Pacemaker or Defibrillator

If your heart can’t regain strength with medication and lifestyle changes, your doctor may recommend an implantable pacemaker or defibrillator. A defibrillator can save your life by providing a small shock to stop an abnormal rhythm and regulate your heartbeat.

A pacemaker is a device that sends electrical pulses to help the heart beat at a normal rate. It can also help your heart chambers beat in sync so your heart can pump more efficiently. At MU Health Care, we also offer a leadless pacemaker, the latest in implantable pacemakers, which poses fewer risks than other pacemakers.

Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Surgery

When heart valves do not work correctly, they can also cause heart failure. MU Health Care’s interventional cardiologists offer minimally invasive heart valve repair or replacement, helping reverse heart failure by improving valve function. These advanced, minimally invasive procedures have fewer risk factors and a faster recovery time than open heart surgeries.

Advanced Heart Failure Therapies

At MU Health Care, we have experts that identify advanced disease and offer the newest treatment options, including devices, to improve symptoms and quality of life. Our experts will walk with you through every step of the process to improve your heart function and quality of life.

In some cases, weak or stiff heart muscles resist less invasive treatments. Our heart team may discuss advanced therapies like a surgically implanted pump (left ventricular assist device, or LVAD) and heart transplantation.

Cardio-Oncology care

Patients diagnosed with cancer may be at risk of developing cardiac disease, especially heart failure, due to certain treatments like chemotherapy agents and radiation. Cardio-oncology care uses experts in heart function and cancer care as well as other specialties who work together to make sure you’re getting the best care possible. A patient-centered approach means your cardiologist, oncologist, radiologist, nephrologist and gastroenterologist collaborate on your care. At MU Health Care, our cardio-oncologists closely monitor your care to help your heart stay healthy before, during and after chemotherapy.

Learn more about Heart and Vascular Care at MU Health Care.

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