Weight Loss & Heart Failure

Heart failure has been strongly indicated as a symptom of obesity and weight gain. Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, can be either the end result of a chronic disease or the result of repeated stress on the heart. Obesity is a major stress on the heart, leading to high systolic blood pressure, or hypertension, and various other diseases. One of the best ways to reduce hypertension and the risk of heart disease and failure is by reducing weight.

Symptoms of Heart Failure

• Symptoms of heart failure develop either from the backup of liquids into the lungs and tissues or from the inability of the heart to deliver oxygen to organs in the body. Some patients experience shortness of breath, not only after exertion but also while lying down. Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, can be experienced both while awake and while sleeping. Wheezing or coughing goes along with the dyspnea and is experienced by some patients.

  At some times, patients experience pulmonary edema, or fluid retention in the lungs. Pulmonary edema causes patients to cough up pink froth. Weight gain and fluid retention, including swelling of the extremities, is common. Some patients indicated that they had a lessening of appetite or felt full after small meals. An abnormal heart rhythm can also be a sign of heart failure.

Obesity

• Hypertension causes 75 percent of all congestive heart failure cases. Hypertension is characterized by having high blood pressure, a condition that puts considerable strain on the heart muscle. Hypertension stresses the heart muscle, creating tension that reduces its ability to contract and relax.

  One of the main risk factors for hypertension is obesity. Obesity causes an excess of insulin in the system, which raises blood pressure. Also, the adipose, or fat cells, release substances that are acted on by the kidneys, again raising the systolic blood pressure and resulting in hypertension. Although hypertension can be controlled with medication, one of the best ways of controlling it is through weight loss.

Losing Weight for your Heart

• A common misconception is that only those who are extremely obese run the risk of heart disease. In fact, every point above a healthy body mass index (BMI) presents a higher risk for heart disease and, by extension, heart failure. A study by the National Heart Lung and Blood Association found that men have a 5 percent increased risk of coronary disease with each additional point in their BMI, while women have a 7 percent added risk (Caremark, 2009).

  People above a healthy BMI are at risk not only for hypertension but also from overuse of the heart muscle. Larger bodies require more blood, which causes the heart to pump more. Reducing your BMI and losing weight not only reduces your risk of hypertension and heart failure but also reduces the strain on the heart muscle.

Dietary Changes

• Losing weight is not the only dietary change some heart failure patients must make; sodium is also a part of the diet that should be strictly monitored. Weaker pumping by the heart prompts the kidneys to retain fluid and salt, which can lead to edema. Many patients are restricted to 1,500 mg of sodium a day. Cutting out sodium from your diet goes hand in hand with weight loss, since many high-cholesterol and high-fat foods also contain large amounts of sodium. Avoid processed foods that are high in fat, cholesterol and sodium; instead eat fresh produce, lean meat and lots of dietary fiber.

Exercise

• Exercise is a vital component of any weight-loss routine to prevent heart failure. A component of aerobic exercise along with light strength training improves blood flow and trims fat. Sedentary lifestyles are one of the main causes of obesity, so when starting a heart-healthy weight-loss routine, it is vital to combine it with exercise. Patients who have already suffered from heart failure are not always approved for exercise by their doctors, but in some cases do benefit from a light routine. Not only does exercise trim fat and improve the fitness of your heart, it also reduces stress levels, another contributor to heart failure.