HEART FAILURE
A CAUSE OF DEATH
• UK deaths from heart and circulatory disease average at 1 ever 3 minutes (168, 472
deaths)
• The majority of deaths are due to coronary heart disease and stroke
• 4.7 % of total deaths due to Heart Failure
POOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL
• Common in age 70+
• An accelerator of premature death
WHAT IS HEART FAILURE
• the inability to perfuse metabolising tissues adequately
• ventricular muscle isnt capable of generating enough force to pump blood against
peripheral resistance
BLOOD FLOW THROUGHT THE HEART
,AN EXAMPLE OF HEART FAILURE
, • Remodelling of the myocardium – A frequent cause of HF
• Altered shape
• ↓
• Insufficient contractile power
• ↓
• Insufficient pressure for adequate tissue profusion
• dilated ventricular chamber
PHYIOLOGICAL REASONS FOR HEART FAILURE
• 1. Stiffness of the myocardium
◦ fibrosis
◦ oedema
• 2. Lack of viable muscle tissue e.g. MI (ischemia), viral infection, aging or
remodelling
• 3. The physical shape of the ventricles
◦ Alters electrical pathways through the heart
◦ Inefficient ‘pumping'
WHAT INITIATES HEART FAILURE
• Factors originating in the heart - Disease or pathology?
• External factors that place excessive demands on the heart
◦ comorbitities
INFLUENCE OF AN AGING POPULATION
A CAUSE OF DEATH
• UK deaths from heart and circulatory disease average at 1 ever 3 minutes (168, 472
deaths)
• The majority of deaths are due to coronary heart disease and stroke
• 4.7 % of total deaths due to Heart Failure
POOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL
• Common in age 70+
• An accelerator of premature death
WHAT IS HEART FAILURE
• the inability to perfuse metabolising tissues adequately
• ventricular muscle isnt capable of generating enough force to pump blood against
peripheral resistance
BLOOD FLOW THROUGHT THE HEART
,AN EXAMPLE OF HEART FAILURE
, • Remodelling of the myocardium – A frequent cause of HF
• Altered shape
• ↓
• Insufficient contractile power
• ↓
• Insufficient pressure for adequate tissue profusion
• dilated ventricular chamber
PHYIOLOGICAL REASONS FOR HEART FAILURE
• 1. Stiffness of the myocardium
◦ fibrosis
◦ oedema
• 2. Lack of viable muscle tissue e.g. MI (ischemia), viral infection, aging or
remodelling
• 3. The physical shape of the ventricles
◦ Alters electrical pathways through the heart
◦ Inefficient ‘pumping'
WHAT INITIATES HEART FAILURE
• Factors originating in the heart - Disease or pathology?
• External factors that place excessive demands on the heart
◦ comorbitities
INFLUENCE OF AN AGING POPULATION
