Heart failure means the heart can no longer pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Risk factors include lifestyle behaviors, like smoking and drinking alcohol, and non-manageable risk factors, like advancing age and family history.
Congestive heart failure, also just called heart failure, occurs when the heart has grown weaker or become stiffer. The heart can’t pump blood as effectively, so blood starts to back up in the veins. This causes tissue to swell, usually in the lower legs. Fluid can also build up in the lungs, making it harder to breathe.
Heart failure is sometimes preceded by a heart attack, unmanaged high blood pressure, or a blood clot that forms in the lung.
Many factors can raise the risk of developing heart failure. Some are manageable, and others are non-manageable. However, there are things you can do to help reduce your risk.
Manageable vs. non-manageable risk factors
Heart failure can often be traced to another condition that ultimately causes the heart to work too hard. In some cases, it’s not possible to manage or change this other condition. This is called a non-manageable risk factor.
However, you can take many steps to help reduce the risk of heart failure. Many of these are lifestyle strategies, known as manageable risk factors.
Manageable risk factors
Among the lifestyle behaviors that can weaken the heart over time are:
regular substance and alcohol use
a sedentary lifestyle
smokingT
Certain health conditions can also harm the heart. When they are treated effectively, damage to the heart can be limited.
Treatable conditions that raise the risk of heart failure include:
hypertension (high blood pressure)
diabetes
coronary heart disease
thyroid disease
obesity
sleep apnea
atrial fibrillation (AFib)
valvular heart disease
Non-manageable risk factors
One of the leading risk factors for heart failure is advancing age. Over the course of a lifetime, the heart begins to wear down.
Other non-manageable risk factors for heart failure include:
Family history: If you have a close relative who experienced heart failure, your risk of having heart failure increases significantly. There are several specific genes linked to heart failure. Some require genetic testing of other family members.
Medical history: Certain health conditions, such as a previous heart attack or thyroid disease, can increase your risk of heart failure.
Sex: Males and females both experience heart failure, but males tend to develop it at a younger age, while females tend to have worse symptoms.
Race: Black people have a higher likelihood of heart failure than people of other races. Researchers think this may be due to inequities in healthcare and social determinants of health.
If you have non-manageable risk factors, that doesn’t mean you will experience heart failure. There are many things you can do to help reduce your risk.
How to lower risk
One of the main ways to reduce the risk of heart failure is to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle.
A heart-healthy lifestyle includes the following strategies:
Maintain a moderate weight for your body size through regular physical activity and a heart-healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.
Get movement all or most days of the week. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise and 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity.
If you smoke, talk with a doctor about quitting. If you’re having difficulty quitting, a doctor can help tailor a smoking cessation plan for you.
If you have sleep apnea, wearing a CPAP machine at night can help regulate your breathing.
Keep up with doctors’ visits and let your doctor know when things are and aren’t working. You can also talk with your care team about participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program that helps people with heart conditions learn about exercise, diet, and other lifestyle strategies that can help protect the heart.
Takeaway
Heart failure is a serious health condition. However, by managing some of the risk factors and working with a doctor to prevent or effectively treat any underlying problems, you may be able to dramatically reduce your risk factors for heart failure.