Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of End-Stage Heart FailureCan End-Stage Heart Failure Be Reversed?Life Expectancy With End-Stage Heart FailureCaregiver Support
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms of End-Stage Heart Failure
Can End-Stage Heart Failure Be Reversed?
Life Expectancy With End-Stage Heart Failure
Caregiver Support
End-stage heart failure is the most advanced stage ofcongestive heart failure. At this point, treatments don’t offer too much symptom relief.
There are four stages of heart failure. The first two stages—A and B—are considered pre-heart failure, where lifestyle changes and medications can largely keep the condition at bay. By stage C, you may have symptoms like swollen limbs,fatigue, andshortness of breathwith physical activity.
By stage D, the heart has experienced significant damage, and it has begun to affect how other organs work, like the kidneys. Treatment for this stage includes surgery,heart transplant, or ventricular assist devices. You may also pursuehospice care—treatment based on comfort alone.
This article will delve into the symptoms of end-stage heart failure, how to cope with the condition, and ways to support someone who is going through it.
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Congestive heart failure is usually thought to be a condition of theheart, but it can affect other organs as it progresses. It continues to get worse with each flare-up, or exacerbation, and 90% of people with the condition eventually die of pump failure.This occurs when the heart can no longer function as a pump, and circulation of blood and oxygen through the body stops.
Symptoms of end-stage heart failure stem from this deterioration of the heart’s pumping power. As the heart grows weaker, it can’t pump enough blood to other parts of the body, and blood and fluids begin to back up.
Symptoms of end-stage heart failure are similar to those in stage C, only they are more severe. They may include:
Weak Heart Symptoms and Treatments
As end-stage heart failure progresses, it will become more difficult to perform routine daily activities like bathing or walking through your house. You may require home care, a move to a skilled nursing facility, or frequent or continued hospitalization.
End-stage heart failure can’t be reversed but it can be managed with treatment, such as a pacemaker or percutaneous interventions, which are non-surgical procedures performed on the heart.
Making lifestyle changes such as getting enough physical activity, keeping your weight down, getting enough sleep, and quitting smoking can help alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.
The American Heart Association (AHA) supports frequent conversations between you and your medical team in end-stage heart failure.Shared decision makingis a partnership between you and your doctor where you openly and regularly discuss your condition, treatment options, and prognosis.
To help with the shared decision-making process, AHA offers the following checklist:
What’s the Difference Between Palliative Care and Hospice?
Only about half of the people who have heart failure that’s in stage C or beyond live for five years after their diagnosis.More than a third of people with advanced heart failure die within a year of being hospitalized.
People who receive heart transplants or aventricular assist device, which can help the heart pump out blood as it grows weaker, have a better outlook. While life expectancy on a ventricular assist device is limited, people can often expect to live 10 years or more after a successful cardiac transplant procedure.
You may need to be hospitalized for intravenous medications,oxygen therapy, or other treatments. If you don’t improve with hospitalization or need skilled nursing care, your medical team may recommend hospice or palliative care:
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What Does Moving to Hospice Care Involve?If you and your family have made the decision to pursue hospice care while receiving inpatient care, a case manager or social worker can help facilitate the process. If you are at home and would like to transition to hospice care, hospice agencies can help make the arrangements. Hospice agencies will review your needs and have a doctor order the appropriate medications for you. These medications will focus not on treating your condition, but on managing your symptoms and comfort as much as possible.
What Does Moving to Hospice Care Involve?
If you and your family have made the decision to pursue hospice care while receiving inpatient care, a case manager or social worker can help facilitate the process. If you are at home and would like to transition to hospice care, hospice agencies can help make the arrangements. Hospice agencies will review your needs and have a doctor order the appropriate medications for you. These medications will focus not on treating your condition, but on managing your symptoms and comfort as much as possible.
Supporting and caring for family and friends with end-stage heart failure can be difficult. At advanced heart failure stages, a person with this condition will need help with their daily activities.
Coping with the demands of caregiving can be difficult. If you are a caregiver, enlist the help of others, and involve your own healthcare providers in creating a plan that keeps your health and well-being in mind. There are services that can offerrespite care, or temporary medical care for the people you care for when you need a break.
Palliative and hospice care can help caregivers cope as their loved one’s condition deteriorates, and they can find ways to make them comfortable as much as possible. The American Heart Association also recommends that caregivers find support groups in their community or online.
Types of Caregiver Burnout and How to Prevent It
Summary
End-stage heart failure is the most advanced form of heart failure, where your heart cannot pump blood effectively to meet your body’s needs. Treatments that have helped you manage earlier stages of the disease may not work anymore, and your healthcare provider will prioritize alleviating the discomfort of your symptoms. It’s still important to stay healthy because that could potentially improve your prognosis.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Severino P, Mather PJ, Pucci M, et al.Advanced heart failure and end-stage heart failure: does a difference exist.Diagnostics. 2019;9(4):170. doi:10.3390/diagnostics9040170Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: understanding heart failure.American Health Association.Recognizing advanced heart failure and knowing your options.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart failure.American Heart Association.Advanced heart failure.Wiskar K, Celi LA, Walley KR, Fruhstorfer C, Rush B.Inpatient palliative care referral and 9-month hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure: a linked nationwide analysis.J Intern Med.2017;282(5):445-451. doi:10.1111/joim.12657American Heart Association.Help for heart failure caregivers.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Severino P, Mather PJ, Pucci M, et al.Advanced heart failure and end-stage heart failure: does a difference exist.Diagnostics. 2019;9(4):170. doi:10.3390/diagnostics9040170Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: understanding heart failure.American Health Association.Recognizing advanced heart failure and knowing your options.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart failure.American Heart Association.Advanced heart failure.Wiskar K, Celi LA, Walley KR, Fruhstorfer C, Rush B.Inpatient palliative care referral and 9-month hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure: a linked nationwide analysis.J Intern Med.2017;282(5):445-451. doi:10.1111/joim.12657American Heart Association.Help for heart failure caregivers.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Severino P, Mather PJ, Pucci M, et al.Advanced heart failure and end-stage heart failure: does a difference exist.Diagnostics. 2019;9(4):170. doi:10.3390/diagnostics9040170Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: understanding heart failure.American Health Association.Recognizing advanced heart failure and knowing your options.American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart failure.American Heart Association.Advanced heart failure.Wiskar K, Celi LA, Walley KR, Fruhstorfer C, Rush B.Inpatient palliative care referral and 9-month hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure: a linked nationwide analysis.J Intern Med.2017;282(5):445-451. doi:10.1111/joim.12657American Heart Association.Help for heart failure caregivers.
Severino P, Mather PJ, Pucci M, et al.Advanced heart failure and end-stage heart failure: does a difference exist.Diagnostics. 2019;9(4):170. doi:10.3390/diagnostics9040170
Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: understanding heart failure.
American Health Association.Recognizing advanced heart failure and knowing your options.
American Heart Association.Lifestyle changes for heart failure.
American Heart Association.Advanced heart failure.
Wiskar K, Celi LA, Walley KR, Fruhstorfer C, Rush B.Inpatient palliative care referral and 9-month hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure: a linked nationwide analysis.J Intern Med.2017;282(5):445-451. doi:10.1111/joim.12657
American Heart Association.Help for heart failure caregivers.
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