Heart Failure Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

Heart Failure And Adjusting Your Diet

By Tracy Kerr-Walshe

Over the past 20 years, the number of people aged 65 and older who are hospitalized for heart failure has risen roughly 30%, which is putting a tremendous strain on the current Medicare system. In 1998, the system paid $3.7 billion for costs related to failure of the heart.

The American Heart Association says that the burden on individual families is even worse. In 2002, Americans paid a whopping $21.4 billion in direct costs and an additional $1.8 billion in indirect costs associated with failure of the heart.

Given those statistics, maybe preventative methods of cholesterol lowering and monitoring heart health aren’ so bad after all!

Heart Failure In The Form Of A Heart Attack

Many people aren’t aware that they have a chronic heart health problem until it’s too late. Heart failure, in the form of a heart attack, sends surprised patients to the emergency room because they were not keeping up with routine checkups.

Just as you take your car in for an oil change every 3,000 miles, so should you visit your doctor every year to review your options, test for abnormalities and treat entirely preventable diseases. While there may not be a 100% guarantee that you can avoid normal degeneration of the body, there are many things that you can do to add ten to twenty years onto your life and remain healthy and happy for the vast majority of your days.

Go To Your General Practitioner For A Check Up

To check if you may have heart health problems, your general practitioner can run several tests to be sure. Many people avoid getting tested in advance because they fear invasive pokes and prods, but most of these screening tests are very non-invasive.

For instance, one test, which is a "stress test," has you walking on a treadmill for a specific interval of time through several intensity levels, while an IV-injected tracer moves through the blood, indicating possible obstructions or strain.

The EKG Is An Echocardiogram

Another test, the EKG, simply monitors your heart rhythms through electrical wires with adhesive ends stuck to your chest, arms and legs. An "Echocardiogram" is simply an ultrasound image taken of your chest, which is as painless as a photograph.

Most people are familiar with the usual hypertension/blood pressure test done with a cuff around your bicep. The most invasive test, which is recommended for people with a genetic predisposition, is the "Catheriterization," which is a small tube inserted into the artery, which may open an obstruction or insert dye to see where the problem spots are.

The Importance Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

If you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, then you’ll need to adjust your diet considerably. An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil supplements.

Dr. James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas recommends at least 1 gram of fish oil per day and as much as 4 grams for people with high triglyceride levels. "Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent," he explains.

In addition, you’ll be trading in eggs for oatmeal, red meat for fish and hummus instead of chip dip.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

This article was about Heart Failure.

About the Author:
Tracy Kerr-Walshe is an author of articles on health, diet, weight loss and nutrition including Whole Foods, Organic Foods, Healthy Snacks, Effective Weight Loss, Full Body Detox, Juice Fasting.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.