- Prevention and treatment of the cause:
- Treating disorders that can cause heart failure include:
- Surgical or procedures measures correcting valvular lesions or congenital
- malformations and blockage of a coronary artery.
- Medical measures for treating hypertension , infective endocarditis , thyroid
- disorders and anemia.
- General measures:
- Maintain desired weight and body mass index (BMI) .
- Diet : large meals should be avoided, salt restriction , in severe heart failure
- fluid restriction is necessary. Dietary sodium and fat restriction.
- Rest.
- Weight reduction.
- Smoking should be stopped. coffee, and alcohol.
- Physical activity: Bed rest for those with exacerbations of heart failure
- reduces the demands of the heart . Daily leg exercises as prophylactic against DVT.
- Low level endurance exercises in patients with compensated heart
- failure.
- Treatment of precipitating factors of heart failure e.g.:
- Myocardial ischemia or infarction
- Intercurrent illness (e.g. infection)
- Arrhythmia
- Inappropriate reduction of therapy
- Administration of a drug with negative inotropic (e.g. high dose beta adrenoceptor antagonist) or fluid-retaining properties (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids). drugs that ↑ BP: e.g. sympathomimetics, cortisone, sodium containing drugs, carbenoxolone, etc….
- Pulmonary embolism
- Conditions associated with increased metabolic demand (e.g. pregnancy, thyrotoxicosis, anemia)
- Intravenous fluid overload (e.g. post-operative i.v. infusion).