4 minute read
LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE — IT'S NOT A DEATH SENTENCE
“I couldn’t breathe,” said 60-year-old Mary McConnell of Monticello. “I stepped outside to get something from the garage, and I struggled to take a breath. I went right back in, sat down and asked my husband to take me to the hospital.”
Last fall, McConnell went to UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center Emergency Department and was later transported to the Nassif Heart & Vascular Center at St. Luke’s Hospital. Upon arrival, she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
“Mrs. McConnell was hypoxic (low on oxygen) and in respiratory failure due to what we believed was heart failure,” said St. Luke’s Cardiologist Arpit Sothwal, MD. “She had all the classic signs and symptoms – difficulty breathing, chest pain, trouble sleeping, fluid around her lungs, weight gain and lower extremity edema (water retention in the legs).”
Due to clinically suspected congestive heart failure, Dr. Sothwal started McConnell on medication to reduce the extra fluid in her body, which eliminated approximately 30 liters of excess water, and stabilized her condition. During her hospital stay, she had an echocardiogram, which confirmed his suspicion. Her heart was functioning at only 20%. Normal heart pumping function is 55-60% (measured as ejection fraction, or the percent of blood leaving the heart with every beat).
Heart Function Restored
“To determine the cause of heart failure, we first rule out a heart blockage,” explained Dr. Sothwal. “We performed a coronary angiogram (a diagnostic heart procedure used to check blood flow), and she did not have any obstruction in her arteries. That meant she did not need any stents or open heart surgery. On the basis of further testing and clinical evaluation, her heart failure was due to uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).”
Left untreated, high blood pressure gradually weakens the heart muscle until it can no longer effectively pump blood throughout the body. That is when a person receives a heart failure diagnosis. Advancements in heart care have allowed people to live with the condition.
“Heart failure is not a death sentence,” said Dr. Sothwal. “It may require surgery or an implanted device to improve heart pumping function, but Mrs. McConnell was lucky. We were able to treat her heart failure with advanced medical therapy. Until we knew the optimal dosage, we had her wear an external defibrillator, called LifeVest, to prevent sudden cardiac death. Fortunately, she responded well to the medicine, and her heart function improved to the normal range.”
Looking back, McConnell said she didn’t attribute trouble breathing to a heart problem. “I thought it might have been my lungs, or because I had gained weight. I thought I was tired because I wasn’t sleeping well at night. It was so frustrating. I kept thinking, ‘I used to be able to do A, B and C,’ but I wasn’t even able to accomplish ‘A’ before I got tired.”
Because McConnell sought care right away, and received treatment early, she was able to return to her normal activities, including gardening, canning and caring for her family of 17 children. Dr. Sothwal said the key to preventing permanent heart damage is to be aware of risk factors and go to the emergency department immediately if you have symptoms of heart failure.
St. Luke’s Prioritizes Heart Failure Treatment
Since being hospitalized, McConnell regularly sees Dr. Sothwal and his team through the Heart Failure Clinic at St. Luke’s Heart Care Clinic. This special long-term program closely follows patients diagnosed with heart failure to monitor medications and prevent recurrent heart failure-related hospitalizations.
Heart failure is a top initiative for both St. Luke’s and UnityPoint Health as a whole, to educate more people about the condition, treat it earlier, and ultimately prolong and improve heart failure patients’ quality of life.
"I feel better than I have in a long time,” McConnell reported. "I’m really happy with the results and the care I received from Dr. Sothwal. He was very attentive and had a plan right away. I just had this confidence that God was working through him to make everything OK.”
St. Luke’s is Cedar Rapids’ Heart Hospital and has been expanding and advancing heart and vascular care since 1978. Learn more and follow our $25 million expansion progress at unitypoint.org/cr-heart
Heart Failure Risk Factors
Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Smoking, vaping and tobacco use
Excessive alcohol
Family history of heart failure
Heart Failure Symptoms
Unexplained shortness of breath with exertion
Trouble breathing while laying down
Unexplained fatigue or weakness
Swelling in the feet, legs ankles or stomach
