Systemic Consequences of Pulmonary Hypertension and Right-Sided Heart Failure | Circulation
I'm A Doctor — These 3 Signs May Mean Your Heart Is Weak
If you have these three concerning symptoms, it's time to get to the heart of the problem.
Dr. Jeremy London, a heart surgeon based in Savannah, Georgia, warns that struggling to breathe while walking or laying down and/or experiencing leg swelling may mean you have a weak heart.
"These should be red flags," London said Tuesday on TikTok.
Heart surgeon Jeremy London warns that struggling to breathe while walking or laying down and/or experiencing leg swelling may mean you have a weak heart. Dr. Jeremy London / TikTok Shortness of breath when walking Heart or lung conditions are often to blame for shortness of breath. Tetiana – stock.Adobe.ComShortness of breath — when you struggle to get enough oxygen, making you breathe harder, faster or deeper than usual — typically stems from heart or lung conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The symptom may begin suddenly or last longer. Common causes include a heart attack, an irregular heartbeat or heart failure.
The NJ Cardiovascular Institute urges seeking medical help if shortness of breath is accompanied by swelling of the ankles and feet, breathing troubles when laying flat, chills, cough, high fever or wheezing.
Breathing troubles when laying down Orthopnea is shortness of breath when laying flat. Doucefleur – stock.Adobe.ComOrthopnea is the medical term for shortness of breath while laying down — sitting or standing up often helps.
If your heart is weak, it will struggle to pump out the extra blood that naturally redistributes from your legs to your lungs when laying flat.
Propping yourself up with pillows to sleep may temporarily relieve symptoms, but you should visit a healthcare provider if you suffer from orthopnea, especially if you also have chest pain or tightness, heart palpitations, wheezing or coughing.
Orthopnea is often a sign of heart failure.
Swollen legs Swelling of the legs may signal heart failure. Daryakomarova – stock.Adobe.ComFluid buildup in the tissues causes swelling, called edema. Blood backing up in the veins of your legs may indicate that your heart is not functioning as well as it should.
It is often the first noticeable sign of heart failure.
Experts suggest seeking medical care if the swelling starts suddenly and for no clear reason and if it's accompanied by chest pain, breathing troubles, fainting, dizziness or a cough that produces blood.
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London said at the doctor's office, you'll give your medical history and undergo a physical exam that may include an echocardiogram.
"An ultrasound probe that's placed on the chest … typically can measure ejection fraction, which is the percentage of blood that's ejected from the heart with each beat," London said.
"Normal is 65 to 70%," he continued, "if it's markedly decreased from that, that could be an indication of heart failure or a weak heart."
Best Drugs To Treat Heart Failure
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Generated by cloudfront (CloudFront) Request ID: ZbEwBbPCFycO8TPbqAB-9tsqqHP7b7OQGo6Kpjch87uqBQSE7NjxCA==New Insights Into Long COVID - Heart Damage & Immune Dysfunction
New studies have provided novel insights into long COVID, which continues to affect millions of people worldwide. The exact rates of the disease are hard to determine because of variations in clinical criteria, and other differences such as differing standards for who is included or excluded from a long COVID diagnosis or study. According to a July 2024 study in The Lancet, the rates of long COVID following an acute infection range from 50 to as much as 85 percent of people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and unvaccinated; 10 to 35 percent of people who were not hospitalized and not vaccinated, and about ten percent of vaccinated people.
Scientists are still working to determine the causes of long COVID, which may vary or include several factors depending on who is affected and what their health history might be. Some research has found evidence of active infection in people with long COVID. But in that study, half of the long COVID patients did test negative for viral proteins, suggesting that there are multiple causes of the illness.
Symptoms of long COVID include but are not limited to: fatigue, fever, malaise, coughing, chest pain, headaches, sleep problrms, anxiety, diarrhea or constipation, joint pain, and rash. Long term complications may include increased risk of diabetes, blood clots, and heart problems.
A 2022 study reported in Nature Medicine determined that heart dysfunction could be one reason for the symptoms of long COVID, even after a mild infection.
A recent report published in Nature Microbiology has shown that there were abnormally high levels of inflammatory signaling molecules called cytokines in patients with long COVID.
The scientists found that these cytokines could damage heart calls called cardiomyocytes. Since these cells are responsible for the pumping action of the heart, problems with those cells may help explain long COVID symptoms like chest pain and heart palpitations. A heart condition known as POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) has also been associated with long COVID.
Unrelated, recent work reported in the Journal of Autoimmunity and Frontiers in Immunology, has discovered two proteins that could serve as biomarkers for long COVID, and may help explain the mechanisms underlying some cases of the disease. This work showed that people with long COVID carry abnormally high levels of proteins called galectin-9 and artemin in their blood.
These patients also had unusually high levels of certain immune cells known as neutrophils and monocytes, which may cause inflammation. There were also abnormally high levels of killer T cells that were exhausted. Long COVID patients were also deficient in immune cells that can fight infection, called lymphocytes. The researchers noted that neutrophils that are under stress often release galactin-9, which can boost inflammation.
Another recent study from this group, reported in The Lancet Microbe found no evidence of persistent infection in long COVID patients, challenging studies that have found the opposite and highlighting the complexities and sometimes confounding nature of this highly variable disorder.
Sources: Nature Microbiology, Journal of Autoimmunity, Frontiers in Immunology, The Lancet Microbe
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