If you have systolic heart failure, the left ventricle of your heart, which pumps most of the blood, has become weak. This may happen because it has gotten bigger. As it has become larger, the ventricle can’t contract the way it should. Because of that, your heart doesn’t pump with enough force to push blood throughout your body.
What Are the Common Causes of Systolic Heart Failure?
Heart problems or diseases can lead to heart failure. Some of the most common causes of systolic heart failure are:
High blood pressure . If you have this, your heart has to work harder to pump more blood throughout your body. With that extra work, your heart muscle gets thicker and doesn’t work as well. Learn more about the symptoms of high blood pressure.
Coronary artery disease. In this condition, the amount of blood flowing to your heart is blocked, or it’s less than normal. Read more on clogged arteries and the causes of arterial plaque.
Cardiomyopathy. When your heart muscle is damaged, your heart can’t pump blood as normal.
Heart valve problems. Sometimes, valves don’t open or close the way they should, or they become leaky. In those cases, the heart has to pump harder to get blood throughout your body. Get more information on heart valve disease symptoms and causes.
What Are the Symptoms of Systolic Heart Failure?
If you have systolic heart failure, you might have signs such as:
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired for no reason
- Weakness
- Swelling in your feet, ankles, legs, or belly
- Ongoing cough or wheezing, especially when you exercise or lie down flat
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Needing to pee more often at night
- Nausea
- Lack of appetite
What are three early warning signs your heart is failing?
Early symptoms of heart failure can be hard to miss. You might also think you’re having them for different reasons. Some signs to look out for include:
Fatigue. For instance, you might find it hard to get daily tasks done because you feel so tired.
Ankle swelling. This happens when your heart has trouble pushing blood back up from your legs.
Feeling short of breath. This can happen because of fluid in your lungs. You could also wheeze and cough a lot.
Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
What Are the Four Stages of Systolic Heart Failure?
Not all cases of heart failure are the same. This condition gets worse over time. Here’s how doctors figure out the stage that you’re in.
Stage A
This means that you are at risk for heart failure because of one or more of the following:
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Diabetes
- Being exposed to toxins that can harm your heart
- Family history or genes
In stage A, you won’t have symptoms. Your heart will look, sound, and function like it should when your doctor does tests.
Stage B
The second stage is sometimes called “pre-heart failure.” You still don’t have symptoms, but the structure of your heart has changed, and it isn’t working like it should. This means that you have a type of heart disease.
You’ll also have one or more of the same risk factors as stage A.
Stage C
When you reach this stage of heart failure, you begin to have symptoms.
Stage D
This is an advanced stage of heart failure. Your symptoms could be severe enough to make it hard to get through your day. You might also need to be treated in the hospital.
How Is Systolic Heart Failure Diagnosed?
To figure out if you have heart failure, your doctor will:
- Examine you
- Ask about your medical history
- Run some tests
Those tests might include:
Blood tests. Abnormal levels of important substances can show strain to organs due to heart failure. Learn about the BNP blood test to detect heart failure.
EKG. This records the electrical activity of your heart.
Chest X-ray. It will let your doctor know if you have an enlarged heart. It can also show congestion. Find out what happens during a chest X-ray.
Echocardiogram. This uses sound waves to make a video image of your heart. Watch a video to see what happens during an echocardiogram.
Exercise test. You may hear this called a stress test. It measures how your heart responds when it has to work hard.
Heart catheterization. In this test, you get dye injected through a small tube into a blood vessel. It will show any blockages or weakened arteries. Watch a video to see what happens during heart catheterization.
How to Treat Systolic Heart Failure
There’s no cure for this heart condition. “The goal of treatment is to limit the work of the heart,” says Randy Gould, MD, a cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in New York City. “The first step that you can take is lifestyle modifications and taking good care of yourself. Heart function can improve with lifestyle changes as well as medications, and this can lead to improvement in your symptoms and your quality of life.”
Lifestyle changes. Your doctor will probably suggest that you:
- Follow a heart-healthy, low-sodium diet
- Exercise most days
- Get seven to nine hours of sleep each night
- Work toward a healthy weight
- Quit smoking
- Avoid drinking alcohol
- Manage any other health conditions, such as diabetes
Medication.You’ll probably need to take one or more drugs as part of your treatment. Your doctor will choose medications that can improve your symptoms and help your heart get stronger.
Surgery and devices. In some cases, you may need surgery. The type you may have will depend on your symptoms and the reason for your heart failure. For instance, you could get a:
- Pacemaker, to help your heartbeat become more regular
- Left ventricular assist device (LVAD), to help the left side of your heart pump blood
- Defibrillator, which can give your heart a small electrical shock to steady its rhythm
- Heart transplant, which may be needed if your heart failure is advanced and other surgeries and medications don’t help
Your doctor will explain which procedure is right for you.
What medications are used to treat systolic heart failure
Common treatments include:
- Diuretics (water pills), which help ease swelling
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which widen your blood vessels and make it easier for your heart to work
- Beta-blockers, to help slow down your heart rate and lower blood pressure
- Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), a type of diuretic that gets rid of extra salt and fluid but keeps needed potassium
- Nitrates and hydralazine, which work together to open up your veins and arteries
- Digoxin, to help how well your heart pumps blood
- SGLT2 inhibitors, to block your kidneys from holding onto glucose and sodium, which can reduce your risk of heart failure
- Angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), a type of drug that keeps your blood vessels from closing up
How Can You Prevent Systolic Heart Failure?
Find out the risk factors you have, then work with your doctor to manage them. Doing so can help protect your heart in the long run.
For instance, you can:
- Treat high blood pressure so your heart doesn’t work harder than it should.
- Lower LDL cholesterol so it doesn’t build up in your arteries.
- Get to a healthy weight so your heart has an easier time pumping blood.
Lifestyle changes to prevent systolic heart failure
Small changes you make every day can make a difference. Try to:
Follow the DASH diet. DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” This way of eating focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains (such as 100% whole wheat bread), low-fat dairy, nuts, chicken, and fish. You’ll try to avoid sugar, salt, and red meat.
Make movement a habit. Getting a 30 minutes of physical activity each day is a great workout for your heart. You don’t need to run a marathon. Even walking can help lower your risk of heart failure.
See your doctor on a regular basis. That way, they can keep an eye on your blood pressure and order blood tests to check your lipid levels.
How Do You Live With Systolic Heart Failure?
Lifestyle changes can help improve your outlook. Treating other health conditions will also be key. For instance, taking medication to lower your blood pressure “can lead to your heart not having to work as hard and [...] overall improvement in function,” Gould says.
Take your medication exactly as prescribed and follow your doctor’s treatment plan.
“These changes can lead to overall improvement in cardiac function as well as how you feel,” Gould says.
Takeaways
Systolic heart failure doesn’t have a cure, but treatment and healthy lifestyle changes can help slow down its progress. Take your medications as prescribed, and let your doctor know right away if your symptoms change or get worse. Treatment is key to prevent organ damage and other severe complications.
Systolic Heart Failure FAQs
How serious is systolic heart failure?
Systolic heart failure is a long-term condition that needs to be taken seriously. Without treatment, it can damage your organs and shorten your lifespan.
Can you survive heart failure?
About half of people with heart failure have a life expectancy of five years. But everyone is different. If you have a less severe case of heart failure, follow your doctor’s advice as well as make healthy changes in your daily life, and you’ll likely be able to improve your outlook. Talk to your doctor about what your diagnosis means for you.
Can you fix systolic heart failure?
Although there’s no cure for systolic heart failure, your doctor can offer treatments to manage your symptoms and address the causes. Making healthier choices each day, such as about the foods you eat and how active you are, can also help slow down this condition.
