Congestive Heart Failure History
Sheds Light On Causes
And Treatment Options




Your Congestive Heart Failure History


The patient's congestive heart failure history is important in establishing what one cause or, in most cases, few causes may be to blame for the cardiac damage associated with chf.

The two primary causes of CHF are hypertension and coronary artery disease.
Up to 75% of all patients afflicted with CHF have a history of hypertension. At least 50% have a history of coronary artery disease. Knowledge of this history, including other factors, can be indispensable in diagnosis.

Patient congestive heart failure history has practical implications, not only for the individual, but also for hospital administration in determining the severity of condition and course of treatment for each patient. This has become a huge issue as hospitals and managed care programs develop procedural guidelines.
A large study was performed (Chin and Goldman) in order to identify which characteristics place CHF patients at high risk.

Importance Of Patients' Congestive Heart Failure History
The study mentioned above involved 435 patients admitted to an urban hospital over a 12-month period. Each patient demonstrated symptoms of congestive heart failure. However, the patients were separated into two groups…
  • The first group was composed of patients with a history of CHF.
  • The second group included patients with new cases of CHF.
Patients with congestive heart failure history showed a greater number of myocardial infarctions (heart attack: irreversible injury to heart muscle) than did the group with newly developed CHF. They also had longer hospital stays.


Hypertension and ischemic heart disease (low oxygen state usually due to obstruction of the arterial blood supply) were the two most common causes underlying the CHF history group. These same patients commonly exhibited an ejection fraction (measure of the ventricle’s ability to contract) less than 0.50.

The group exhibiting new cases of CHF also demonstrated a high incidence of hypertension but was more likely to have normal cardiac rhythm.

The study included detailed records of each patient’s condition during their hospital stay.
  • 9% of the patients had had heart attacks
  • 13% suffered from major complications
  • 5% percent died
Special notice was made of those patients who had suffered from, what Chin and Goldman defined as - some major adverse event - in order to detect a connection between congestive heart failure history and severity of condition.
  • 17% of patients who had previous heart failure and ejection fractions (measure of the ability of the ventricle to contract) below 0.50 suffered a major adverse event.
  • 14% of those with previous heart failure and valve damage but an ejection fraction above 0.50 also suffered a serious event.
  • A higher percent (19%) of those with previous heart failure and no significant valve damage with ejection fractions above 0.50 suffered a major event.

Among the significant risk factors listed were…

  • An initial systolic blood pressure measurement of 90 mm Hg or less
  • A respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths per minute
  • A heart rate in excess of 110 beats per minute
  • Blood sodium levels of 135 mmol per L or less
The more risk factors a patient exhibited the higher incidence of major complications (including death) he or she could expect. The goal of the study was to identify risk factors including present condition and medical history that could help distinguish patients with a higher likelihood of complications or death.


What Does This Mean To Us?
This is fine for the hospitals, but what does our congestive heart failure history mean to us? It indicates that…
People with a history of heart failure or other negative cardiac factors are more likely to suffer from CHF and have more severe damage.
For instance a patient with a history of…
  • Heart murmurs
  • Hypertension
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Thyroid disease
  • Lung disease
  • Alcohol and drug use
… might be in a higher risk category for CHF.


So What Can You Do?
Reversing congestive heart failure and its damage, then, involves reducing the risk factors. Some of the risk factors are, of course, beyond our control. On the other hand, we can influence some of these areas of risk.

For example… blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure make a serious effort to get it down before long-term damage occurs. If your doctor has prescribed blood pressure medication do not neglect it. If your blood pressure responds to ACE inhibitors you can try taking fish peptides.

Bonito fish peptides are a natural alternative to ACE inhibitors with none of the side-effects. Peptides possess ACE inhibiting properties and have therefore helped many people lower their blood pressure without other medications.

You can read more on Peptides and blood pressure by clicking here.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is another example.

CAD does not happen overnight. Nor is there an instant solution. However, research has demonstrated that populations with high Omega-3 intake have much lower incidence of heart disease. In fact the American Heart Association recommends high intakes of Omega-3 for anyone with documented heart disease.

So… eat cold-water oily fish like…
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Mackerel
Eat lots of it. And take a high quality Omega-3 supplement.

Read more details on Omega-3 and CAD by clicking here.

Coenzyme Q10 has been shown to improve many conditions associated with congestive heart failure. CoQ10 is essential for the production of cellular energy. The heart requires a lot of energy. And our bodies produce less CoQ10 as we age.

For a high quality CoQ10 supplement at a good price click here.

Click here to read more about CoQ10 research in relation to CHF.

If you have atherosclerosis take whatever medicines your doctor prescribes, eat more fish or take fish oil supplements, eat a low cholesterol diet, quit smoking and get some exercise. Congestive heart failure is not only diagnosed by one’s medical history, it is a product of it. In many cases you can have an influence in its prevention and reversal.


Conventional Congestive Heart Failure Treatments

Natural Congestive Heart Failure Treatments

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