Signs
Heart Failure
Waking up short of breath and needing an extra pillow to sleep comfortably. Stopping to catch your breath halfway up a staircase that never used to be a problem. Noticing your ankles look puffy by late afternoon even when you have not been on your feet all day. These are the kinds of changes that often bring people to Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates for a heart failure evaluation, and they are changes worth taking seriously.
Understanding Your Condition
What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped. It means the heart muscle is no longer able to pump blood with enough force or fill with enough volume to keep up with what the body needs. As a result, fluid can back up into the lungs and lower extremities, and the body’s organs may not receive adequate oxygen-rich blood. It is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management, but with the right treatment most people can live well and remain active.
Heart failure comes in two main forms, and distinguishing between them affects how treatment is approached:
Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction
The heart muscle has weakened and cannot squeeze with enough force. The left ventricle empties less blood with each beat than a healthy heart would.
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
The heart muscle still squeezes adequately but has stiffened over time and cannot relax and fill properly between beats. The result is similar: the body does not receive enough blood output, but the underlying mechanics are different.
Diagnosis
How We Evaluate It
Diagnosis begins with a complete medical history and physical exam. We use a combination of specialized tests to understand how your heart is functioning, identify the type of heart failure present, and determine the best course of treatment. Every evaluation is conducted in our accredited labs and interpreted by our own board certified cardiologists, not an outside reading service.
Understanding the exact nature of your heart failure allows us to tailor a treatment plan that addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms. We take the time to explain findings and answer your questions at every step.
Echocardiogram
The central diagnostic tool: uses sound waves to create a moving image of the heart so we can measure how well it pumps and fills.
BNP Blood Test
A blood test measuring a protein called BNP that helps confirm whether the heart is under the kind of strain associated with failure.
EKG
Records the heart's electrical pattern and can reveal past heart attacks or rhythm problems that contributed to the condition.
Stress Test / Additional Imaging
When further evaluation is needed, a stress test or additional imaging may be added to complete the diagnostic picture.
Treatments
How We Treat It
Treatment for heart failure is built around managing symptoms, protecting heart
function, and reducing the risk of hospitalization. Our team evaluates each patient
individually to determine the right combination of approaches.
Medications
Medications form the backbone of most treatment plans and may include agents that reduce the heart's workload, remove excess fluid, and help the muscle pump more efficiently.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes reinforce what medications accomplish: limiting sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, monitoring daily fluid intake, and staying appropriately active.
Remote Monitoring
Remote monitoring, including daily weight monitoring, can also be helpful to understand how the body is retaining fluid associated with heart failure.
Device Therapy
For certain patients, a pacemaker can correct a slow heart rate, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) provides protection against dangerous rhythm disturbances, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves coordination between the heart's chambers when they are beating out of sync. Our team evaluates each patient individually to determine whether device therapy is appropriate.
Why our patients choose us
Why Choose Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates
Schedule an appointment online or call Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates at 804.800.6600. Our offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Comprehensive heart failure management with echocardiography and diagnostic labs in-office
Device therapy available for eligible patients, coordinated by cardiologists who know your history
Convenient locations in Chesterfield, Mechanicsville and Hopewell make it convenient to stay on top of your care plan
We work with you to build a realistic care plan, one that fits your life, not just your chart