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Risk Factors for Heart Failure from High Output

Any condition that causes the heart to overwork can become a serious risk factor for heart failure.

  1. Overworking the heart

    • When the body doesn't have enough blood and oxygen to meet its cardiovascular needs, such as during strenuous exercise, it can trigger the body to pump more blood and oxygen. Often, as the heart increases pumping, demand is met and the lack of oxygen is resolved. When the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply demand but still increases the amount of blood it's pumping, it can begin to work too hard. If the over-work continues, the heart muscle might grow too strong, develop an inconsistent heartbeat, or the heart valves that control the amount of blood flowing in and out might malfunction. The consequence of the heart constantly working too hard is often heart failure.

    Underlying Conditions

    • Any condition that causes insufficient blood flow can trigger the heart to pump much more blood and with much more effort to compensate for the need. Severe anemia will lower the concentration of oxygen in the blood, creating a need for more blood flow in order to deliver the correct amount of oxygen. Hyperthyroidism can increase levels of thyroid hormones and speed up metabolism, creating increased blood flow. A condition called arteriovenous fistulas occurs when an artery and a vein aren't connected correctly and prevent a sufficient amount of blood from flowing through. Beriberi, a deficiency of the vitamin B1, is not common in developed countries but occurs in cases of chronic alcoholism or poor diets. Despite the cause, beriberi has been observed repeatedly to cause a high amount of blood to be pumped from the heart. The lack of blood flow and the excessive pumping of the heart that results can ultimately put anyone at danger for heart failure from the high workload.

    Signs and Symptoms

    • A doctor can test for short, loud popping sounds over the femoral artery, while more easily observable signs of developing heart disease are chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of feeling or a coldness in your legs or arms because of narrowed blood vessels.

    Therapy

    • To diminish the risks that come with high output, the underlying causes should be addressed. If blood vessels are narrowed, narrowing can be reversed by dietary changes or stents can be placed to expand the vessels. If anemia is present, eating more iron-rich sources of food can act to reverse the condition, while vessels can be surgically redirected to correct the effects of arteriovenous fistulas..

    Prevention

    • The risk of heart failure can seem overwhelming and complex, but with effort and medical attention, cardiovascular health can often be improved and heart disease can be prevented.

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