When you hear the term heart failure, what do you think about it? You might think this means that the heart suddenly stops beating.

In reality, heart failure means the heart can no longer pump enough blood to supply the body with the oxygen it needs. This reduced blood flow can cause serious health problems, often marked by shortness of breath, both during activity and even at rest.

Causes of Heart Failure

As a person gets older, the heart’s ability to pump blood gradually declines. Although aging is one contributing factor, many other conditions can damage the heart muscle and eventually lead to heart failure or other heart diseases.

Some conditions that can increase the risk of heart failure include:

• Arrhythmia

• Cardiomyopathy

• Congenital heart defects

• Coronary artery disease

• Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart)

• Heart attack

• Heart valve disease

• High blood pressure

• Blood clots in the lungs

• Diabetes

• Severe lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• Obesity

• Sleep apnea (sleep-related breathing disorders)

• Other conditions such as severe anemia, hyperthyroidism, and certain medications

How to Reduce the Risk of Heart Failure

Unhealthy daily habits, such as smoking, eating foods high in fat and cholesterol, and rarely moving your body, can all increase the risk of heart failure and other heart diseases.

You can help lower your risk through the following steps:

Stay Active

Regular physical activities and exercises help protect the heart and reduce the risk of heart failure. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular exercise combined with strength training to support your heart and overall health.

If you have a particular medical condition, talk to your doctor first about how long you should exercise and which types of activity are safest for you.

Reduce Long Periods of Sitting

Sitting for many hours can cause your body to be less active. This can be challenging if your job requires you to sit at a desk for long periods of time.

If you must sit for work, try to stand up and walk around every hour.

Quit Smoking

Smoking damages the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This damage can lead to heart failure and many other serious heart diseases. 

Limit Alcohol Intake

Small amounts of alcohol may not directly harm the heart in healthy people, but frequent heavy drinking can increase the risks of heart disease. If you already have heart failure, drinking alcohol can worsen your condition.

Weight Loss

Maintaining a healthy body weight, with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9, is another way to lower your risk of heart failure.

Fat buildup in overweight or obese people, especially around the abdomen, is closely linked to an increased risks of heart diseases.

Manage Stress

Stress can increase blood pressure. If high blood pressure continues over time, it puts additional strain on the heart and increases the risk of heart failure and other heart conditions.

Getting Enough Sleep

Lack of sleep can increase the risk of heart failure and various other health diseases. Sleeping less than 5 hours a night has been shown to negatively affect your health and is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.

To improve your sleep quality, limit caffeine intake (especially in the evening), keep electronic devices away from your bed, and consult a doctor if you suspect there are other medical conditions you have that make it hard to sleep well.

By making these healthy lifestyle changes, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, including heart failure, and other diseases.

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