How long can you live with heart failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is weakened due to physical damage or cardiac dysfunction, making the ventricles unable to receive or eject blood. This condition makes people tired, have difficulty breathing, and some people have a cough. Daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying things become difficult. Patients who exert themselves may develop fluid retention, leading to lung congestion and swelling of the arms and legs.

Depending on the cause of heart failure, severity of the disease, genetics, age, underlying disease…, doctors can predict the life expectancy of a person with heart failure.

Prognosis of survival by stage: Heart failure is divided into 4 stages A, B, C, D. The 5-year survival rate of patients with stage A heart failure is 97%, stage B is 95.7%, stage C is 74.6 % and stage D is 20%.

Prognosis of survival according to age: Heart failure often affects older people. Complications of heart failure also increase with age. Many reports show that the 5-year survival rate for people with heart failure under 65 years old is about 79%, and 50% for people aged 75 years and older.

Prognosis of survival according to gender: Women with heart failure tend to live longer than men. Other health problems that affect the prognosis in women with heart failure, especially after menopause, include high blood pressure, heart valve conditions, diabetes, and coronary artery disease.

Prognosis of survival based on endurance: Poor exercise capacity is the main symptom of heart failure, reducing quality of life and increasing the risk of death. The three-year survival rate in heart failure patients with reduced exercise capacity is 64%. This number is lower than 97% in people with normal exercise capacity.

Prognosis of survival according to ejection fraction: Ejection fraction measures the percentage of blood pumped out by the left ventricle each time the heart contracts. A normal ejection fraction is 50-70%, a “red flag” if it is between 41-49%, below 40% indicates heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Ejection fraction is proportional to the survival prognosis of heart failure patients.

Prognosis of survival according to comorbidities: Comorbidities commonly found in patients with heart failure (such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure…) contribute to increased mortality rates. Some other risk factors such as obesity and poor diet also negatively impact longevity.

To increase life expectancy when suffering from heart failure, your father needs to equip himself with cardiovascular knowledge to slow down the progression of the disease and improve quality of life. Patients should do light exercise such as walking, cycling, yoga… at least 30 minutes a day, do not work or do strenuous activities, completely quit smoking and alcohol, avoid stress, and limit stress. foods containing a lot of fat or bad fats. Your father should maintain a stable weight, have regular medical check-ups, and use medication according to the doctor’s regimen.