How does diet and exercise affect heart failure?
Heart failure happens when your heart is unable to pump blood effectively throughout your body to support your needs. Sometimes the heart can’t constrict enough, as in systolic heart failure, and other times it can’t fully relax to properly fill, as in diastolic heart failure. In either case, your body isn’t getting enough oxygen circulated throughout, leading to a steadily worsening set of symptoms that should never be ignored.
Jordan Stansell, PA-C, knows how heart failure can impact your quality of life. She spoke with us on how diet and exercise affect heart failure, the impact of stress and more.
How does heart failure impact quality of life?
“Heart failure touches everything. It can impact your quality of life in physical, emotional and social ways,” said Stansell. “Most commonly, fatigue and shortness of breath can make it increasingly difficult just to get around and perform your usual daily tasks. Patients may find themselves staying home to avoid having to walk even a short distance to a restaurant, feeling out of breath just making a phone call or having to stop in the middle of cooking dinner.”
Heart failure also makes it difficult to exercise and can cause swelling, lead to sleep disruptions, cause depression or anxiety and result in frequent hospitalizations. Those who aren’t yet diagnosed or who aren’t being treated for heart failure yet can become dependent on their caregivers, making life more difficult for the household.
“I want to add, patients with heart failure also have a significantly higher risk of serious complications from the flu or other viral illnesses,” said Stansell. “Those illnesses can be stressful for your body, and with weakened heart function, the body just can’t keep up as well when it comes to handling that stress.”
Preventing the flu and other respiratory illnesses is important for heart failure patients. You can see more about what you can do to decrease your risk of flu right here on Flourish.
Are lifestyle changes always a part of treatment for heart failure?
“Yes, lifestyle changes are an essential part of treating heart failure,” said Stansell. “Shifts in what you eat and how active you are can help your heart retain or even improve function in a way that medications can’t manage alone.”
Lifestyle changes that Stansell noted have a significant effect on heart failure patients included:
- Changing up your diet
- Mediterranean diet
- Low sodium
- Lean proteins
- Emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables
- Exercise training or cardiac rehab
- Weight management
- Alcohol restriction or abstinence
- Quitting smoking
- Getting more restful, quality sleep
- Sticking to your treatment plan and medication
- Psychosocial support
How can you best track daily fluid intake?
“A lot of heart failure patients are told to track their fluid intake. Fluid accumulation can be a common problem when you have impaired heart function, and a combination of restricting sodium and being mindful about how much fluid you’re taking in can make a big difference,” said Stansell.
She noted that sodium restriction is the most important action to take when it comes to preventing fluid accumulation. The current recommendation for heart failure patients is less than 2 grams a day.
It’s easy to overdo it on sodium, as it’s in so many of our processed foods and a little extra salt may feel harmless when you sprinkle it over your food. Keep in mind that 2 grams of salt is barely over 1/3 of a teaspoon.
Stansell also noted that those living with heart failure should ideally be taking in less than 2 liters of fluid each day. Weighing yourself each day can help you realize early if fluid is accumulating, so you can speak to your doctor and make changes as needed.
“There are also implantable pulmonary artery sensors available for situations where they’re necessary,” said Stansell. “These wireless devices are implanted in patients and monitor pressure in the pulmonary artery. It helps us to discover fluid build-up before symptoms develop.”
How can changing your sleep habits help with heart failure?
“Prioritizing rest and sleep are especially important in managing heart failure symptoms,” said Stansell. “We’re really looking for our patients to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and ideally to avoid those long late-day naps that can make it hard to rest at night. It’s common for providers to screen for sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea when managing heart failure.”
If you become short of breath while lying flat, disrupting the restfulness of your sleep, you may find that elevating your head using a few pillows, sleeping on your side or sleeping in a recliner can help you feel more comfortable when your symptoms flare.
Balancing rest with activity is important, as excessive daytime rest can result in loss of muscle tone and endurance. Light-to-moderate activity during the day, on the other hand, tends to result in better sleep at night.
What exercise is best for heart failure?
“The best exercise is regular, moderate-intensity aerobic activity, ideally combined with light resistance training,” said Stansell. “If you have heart failure, don’t try to push your limits and stress your body out unnecessarily. Exercise should be focused more on improving efficiency, endurance and quality of life.”
Effective exercise for heart failure patients includes primarily lower-impact options like:
- Walking
- Stationary cycling
- Elliptical
- Swimming/water aerobics
“We usually recommend starting with 10-15 minutes a day, building up over time to 30-45 minutes, 3-5 days a week,” said Stansell. “Cardiac rehab is great for this! Patients in cardiac rehab receive supervised individualized exercise with symptom and rhythm monitoring. Check to see if your insurance covers it.”
Stansell did note that those living with heart failure should avoid exercising when you’re sick or if you’re having significant episodes of swelling or other volume overload.
How does stress management fit with heart failure treatment?
“Stress affects your body in significant ways, and this is definitely true for heart failure,” said Stansell. “Structured relaxation, meditation, physical activity and prioritizing quality sleep are all good stress relieving skills for heart failure patients and heavily recommended.”
Attending support groups that center around people living with heart failure has also been proven to reduce stress and anxiety related to diagnosis.
Talk to your doctor about lifestyle as part of your heart failure treatment plan
“It is important to come to your provider with clear personalized questions about what actions you can take to achieve your quality of life improvement goals,” said Stansell. “These choices don’t just help you live longer, but they help you live a happier and healthier life, too.”
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