Congestive Heart Failure
According to a 2016 report by the CDC, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) afflicts the lives of roughly 6 million individuals within any given year and accounts for the premature deaths of nearly half of its victim-sufferers in the 5 years that follow since the time of the condition’s onset. Cardiac Diseases (as a category of health conditions) comprise the leading cause of death worldwide, and their incidence rate – as may be tabulated through a Buckeye Cable Internet connection –has only increased with the passage of time.
What is Congestive Heart Failure?
Congestive Heart Failure, in a nutshell, is the health condition in which one or more of the heart’s four chambers (2 upper atria, and 2 lower ventricles) are left unable to perform their blood pumping or receiving functions properly. Left Ventricular Failure normally accrues as the most common variety of heart failure, and is normally categorized as either Systolic or Diastolic failure.
- In the Systolic Variant, the heart ventricles (due to some electrolytic or muscle wall defect) are left unable to pump blood adequately to the rest of the body’s systems – through the intricate network of blood vessels that serve as the intermediary connecting conduits to facilitate this function. As a result, fluid regurgitation starts to occur in the lungs, kidneys, and the patient’s limb extremities (making way for a lot of often conspicuous water retention). The patient may suffer from breathing difficulties and bloating, for which the treating doctor may prescribe a series of diuretics – to get rid of the excess fluid accumulation.
- In Diastolic Heart Failure, the heart relaxation (filling up)phase becomes negatively impacted, resulting in a backward pressure on the lungs through the pulmonary artery – which brings oxygenated blood from the lungs for subsequent bodily circulation. The signs of diastolic dysfunction are also congruent with those of systolic failure, with breathing difficulties and chest discomfort (which increases with the frequency of physical activity committed) being some of its most significant hallmarks.
Causes:
Although there exists a variety of speculated causes of Congestive Heart Failure, hypertension and diabetes are normally associated with an increased risk of contracting the condition. A lot of new research conducted on the heart’s electrodynamics (on the sub-cellular level) has leaned towards chronic mitochondrial dysfunction – which causes a downturn in ATP production –as a major cause of successive heart failure.
All our cells intrinsically need an uninterrupted supply of oxygen, which is attained directly through the blood coming from the heart, for their respiratory purposes. The natural motivation behind acquiring this essential resource (for the individual cell) is to yield sufficient ATP molecules to fuel tissue functions optimally. The said compound, formed by the chemical bonding of an adenosine molecule, a ribose molecule, and three phosphate groups, is largely considered to be the body’s cellular energy ‘currency’; or the battery that powers all biological life processes.
Morbid obesity has also been linked, in several clinical studies, to act as a contributive factor towards the onset of Congestive Heart Failure.
On the ATP Linkage:
The heart, liver, lungs and the kidneys comprise some of the body’s most important organ systems, and as such, they require abundant and consistent supplies of ATP for their uninterrupted functioning. When the oxygen flow to the heart becomes compromised, due to an issue with the lungs or the coronary artery system, the myocardium is not able to synthesize this energy currency to the same levels as are required, leading to its overall rigidity and inflexibility.
Since the mitochondria comprise the sites where ATP are primarily& actively produced, their ‘poisoning’, due to heavy lead, mercury, and other heavy metal intoxication, as well as consistent bouts of free radical damage, can lead to its systemic deterioration within the body.
Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure:
On the treatment front, there exist a number of pharmaceuticals, supplemental and lifestyle-change therapy routes for resolving the physically-debilitating (and internal) signs and symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure.
- In terms of pharmaceutical preparations, medical professionals regularly prescribe common varieties of ACE Inhibitors, Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers and Diuretics (which may or may not be potassium sparring) to their Congestive Heart Failure patients.
- These medicinal prescriptions can thereafter be coupled with such over-the-counter supplements as CoQ10, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Magnesium, L-Arginine, Vitamin C and Vitamin K2 preparations; all of which (in their right dosages) have been shown to exhibit powerful therapeutic and remedial effects on Congestive Heart Failure (and other common heart diseases) patients when taken in unison.
Congestive Heart Failure patients are also commonly advised by their treating specialists to consult registered dietitians and nutritionists – who can then design a long-term treatment plan to remedy their situations holistically.
If you, or anyone in your immediate circle of acquaintances, is currently suffering from the ravages of Congestive Heart Failure, then consider subscribing to a cox cable and internet connection, and surfing the internet for more details on this subject.