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Suggest Treament For Tirednessand Leg Pain When Diagnosed With Congestive Heart Failure
Question: My grandmother was diagnosed with congestive heart failure this January. She had three leaky valves I do not know which ones. She just turned 89. She at time feels very tired and expressed pain in her legs, and sometimes short of breath. What is her life expectancy so myself and the family can prepare ourselves?
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern, and would like to explain that your grandmother status needs a thorough review, including first her physical activity performance (what level of physical activity is she able to perform during her daily activity? What limitation does her clinical status (CHF) poses on her normal physical and living regimen? What level of exertion produces shortness of breath? etc.).
Also, her cardiac ultrasound should be reviewed in conjunction, in order to investigate the level of underlying valvular dysfunctions and their implication to her actual clinical scenario (tiredness, dyspnea, etc).
Other co-morbidities (pulmonary, liver, renal, etc. dysfunctions) should be ruled in/out, as they may be important determinants of possible heart failure decompensation, as well as predictors of life expectancy.
So, after judging her physical capacity (and hence NYHA class of HF), echo report and other co-morbidities, it would be possible to give a more accurate opinion about her life expectancy.
If no valvular dysfunction exists, no co-morbidities, coupled also with a satisfactory physical capacity, then an optimal CHF therapy would be helpful to maintain a steady equilibrium of her disease, leading so to a better life expectancy (many years).
Could you be able to give the information I requested above, coupled with echo report and her previous medical history (for co-morbidities)?
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Feel free to ask me whenever you need! Greetings! Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern, and would like to explain that your grandmother status needs a thorough review, including first her physical activity performance (what level of physical activity is she able to perform during her daily activity? What limitation does her clinical status (CHF) poses on her normal physical and living regimen? What level of exertion produces shortness of breath? etc.).
Also, her cardiac ultrasound should be reviewed in conjunction, in order to investigate the level of underlying valvular dysfunctions and their implication to her actual clinical scenario (tiredness, dyspnea, etc).
Other co-morbidities (pulmonary, liver, renal, etc. dysfunctions) should be ruled in/out, as they may be important determinants of possible heart failure decompensation, as well as predictors of life expectancy.
So, after judging her physical capacity (and hence NYHA class of HF), echo report and other co-morbidities, it would be possible to give a more accurate opinion about her life expectancy.
If no valvular dysfunction exists, no co-morbidities, coupled also with a satisfactory physical capacity, then an optimal CHF therapy would be helpful to maintain a steady equilibrium of her disease, leading so to a better life expectancy (many years).
Could you be able to give the information I requested above, coupled with echo report and her previous medical history (for co-morbidities)?
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Feel free to ask me whenever you need! Greetings! Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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