Heart Failure
Is Heart Failure a Disease?
According to the CDC, almost 6 MILLION people in the United States suffer from heart failure (also referred to as congestive heart failure). With 1 in 9 deaths associated with heart failure-related conditions, you would think that it is one of the most concerning diseases in the United States. However, heart failure in and of itself is not a disease but rather the later manifestation of one or more other diseases.
Understanding the Four Stages of Heart Failure
Many patients often misunderstand the concept of heart failure and believe that with this condition, the heart, as a mechanical pump, has stopped working entirely. However, heart failure is not that at all. Instead, it describes a condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body is degraded. As such, it is a progressive disorder that may eventually lead to severe disability and death.
What Beta Blockers are Approved for Heart Failure?
There are two beta blockers approved for heart failure in the United States.
The first is metoprolol succinate (also called Toprol XL, Toprol, metoprolol ER or metoprolol ER succinate). This long-acting formulation should not be confused with short-acting metoprolol (metoprolol, metoprolol tartrate or Lopressor) which is NOT an approved drug for heart failure.
The second beta blocker approved for the treatment of heart failure is carvedilol (also called Coreg or Coreg CR).
Drugs that are NOT approved for heart failure include atenolol and Bystolic. These are approved to treat hypertension.
NOT APPROVED: metoprolol tartrate, Lopressor, atenolol, Bystolic
APPROVED: metoprolol succinate, Toprol XL, Toprol, metoprolol ER, metoprolol ER succinate, carvedilol, Coreg, Coreg CR
(RB)
Three Components of Treating Heart Failure
There are three components to keeping heart failure under control:
- Daily weights
- Diuretics
- Fluid restriction/salt restriction
Daily weights are critical for heart failure patients.
Weights should be done the first thing every morning on the same reliable home scale before eating or drinking anything. Establish a DRY WEIGHT with your physician.
Think of ALL WEIGHT GAIN as an INCREASE IN FLUID, not as getting fatter.