Heart Failure

Heart Failure is defined as a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should.

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes

• Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs

• The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema

A person who has experienced cardiac conditions that have damaged or weakened the heart may develop heart failure.

Heart failure can develop quickly after damage caused by a heart attack, or it can develop gradually after years of high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. A defective heart valve may cause heart failure. In this case, repair or replacement of the valve can often reverse heart failure.

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

According to a recent (July, 2006) study in Denmark, living alone can have dire implications for the heart.

Women over age 60 and men older than 50 who live alone have a two- to three-fold higher risk for unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or sudden cardiac death, according to the researchers.

Mary L'Abbé, director of the bureau of nutritional sciences at Health Canada said that a ban would not be correct, because trans fats occur naturally in lamb, beef, and milk. Regulating trans-fats will decrease consupmtion and the risk of heart disease. Trans-fats have no nutritional value. When they are used in processed foods, they improve taste and increase shelf-life.

Depression can occur at any age. NIMH-sponsored studies estimate that 6 percent of 9- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. and almost 10 percent of American adults, or about 19 million people age 18 and older, experience some form of depression every year.

On June 20, 2006, the American Heart Association issued new diet and lifestyle recommendations in the fight to prevent cardiovascular disease — the nation’s No. 1 killer.

Intended for healthy Americans age 2 and older, the recommendations, which replace guidelines issued in 2000, now recommend:

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a long, healthy life.

HOW MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE DIABETES?
• 3.2 million African Americans ages 20 years and older (or 13.3 percent) have diabetes, one-third of whom are undiagnosed.
• On average, African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process blood glucose into energy.