The Process of Heart Failure

Many people do not fully understand the dangers of damage to the heart.

Heart failure is chronic by nature.

• Damage to the myocardium (the muscular tissue of the heart) leads to re-modelling.
• No symptoms for years so patient could be unaware of developing heart failure.
• Patient generally notices symptoms at a point where the heart condition is hard to treat.
• No major advances in treatments reversing this re-modelling.

Damage to myocardium starts a dangerous cycle.

• Damage reduces cardiac output 
• Hearts initial response is sympathetic reflex - releases renin and catecholamine, which increases blood pressure to counter reduced cardiac output.
• This response is good in the short term but as the cycle repeats the heart eventually cannot put up with the stress from increased blood flow and resistance.