5 Causes of Heart Failure All Young People Should Know

If you’re under the impression that heart failure is something that only affects older adults, we have some important intel to share: Heart failure—a chronic condition where the heart becomes unable to sufficiently pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, causing symptoms like shortness of breath, heart palpitations, swelling in the extremities, and fatigue, among others—can occur in people of all ages, even children. It is estimated that more than 6.2 million people aged 20 years and older in the United States are living with heart failure. While the condition is definitely more common in people 65 and older, research shows that heart-failure-related deaths in young adults aged 16 to 44 actually increased from 2012 to 2019.

Heart failure may occur at a younger age for a number of reasons, such as inherited heart disease or problems with the heart’s rhythm. Other factors, including a family history of heart failure, the foods you eat, substance use, some viral infections, and certain chronic health conditions can all increase your risk for developing heart failure, no matter your age.

Here are five of the most common causes of heart failure in young people.

1. Congenital heart disease

If someone has congenital heart disease, it means they were born with a problem with their heart’s structure. Thanks to advances in medicine and surgery, people with congenital heart disease can live long, fulfilling lives. But having a heart defect from birth can put you at a higher risk of heart failure throughout your lifetime, since stress and damage to the organ can start earlier than in someone born with a totally healthy heart.

“Heart failure accounts for about 40% of all deaths in people with congenital heart disease,” William H. Marshall, MD, an adult congenital heart disease fellow at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.That doesn’t mean everyone with congenital heart disease will experience heart failure, though: Some cases of congenital heart disease are so minor they don’t even require treatment—just regular check-ins with a cardiologist to make sure the condition doesn’t progress or worsen, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

But some of the more severe forms of congenital heart disease can cause heart failure. In fact, among adults with complex forms of congenital heart disease, heart failure is the most common complication. “Therefore, lifelong follow-up with a cardiologist who specializes in the care of people with congenital heart disease is important,” Dr. Marshall says.

2. Genetic or familial cardiomyopathy

“Genetic or familial cardiomyopathy is an inherited disease that is characterized by an enlarged, weak, or thickened heart and may result in heart failure at a young age,” Tanya P. Doctorian, MD, a heart failure and transplant specialist at Loma Linda University International Heart Institute, tells SELF. There are multiple forms of cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart muscle to become thicker, stiffer, or larger, ultimately making it harder for it to pump blood throughout the body. Over time, this may lead to heart failure.

There are also multiple types of familial cardiomyopathies—hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common and affects somewhere around 1 in 500 adults in the United States. Cardiomyopathy symptoms can include shortness of breath, fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat, among others. They often appear in mid-adulthood, but they can happen earlier too.

Experts have pinpointed some of the genes connected with familial cardiomyopathy, but others are still being researched. To prevent people from going undiagnosed and progressing to heart failure, the American College of Cardiology recommends any first-degree relative of a person with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy be screened starting at age 12.

Meanwhile, methamphetamine use can cause various forms of heart damage, including inflammation, heart muscle scarring, coronary artery disease, and damage to the heart muscle cells, which can then lead to heart failure. Typically, the longer someone uses, the more damage their heart will sustain, Dr. Doctorian says. Prolonged methamphetamine use has been associated with a severe form of dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle becomes weak and can’t pump blood as effectively. Research shows that people who use methamphetamine experience heart disease at increased intensity and younger ages than is typical among the population at large.

5. Arrhythmia

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. According to the AHA, it can cause the heartbeat to be too slow, too fast, or even erratic, where the heart feels like it’s fluttering or skipping a beat. While some arrhythmias are considered harmless and may not need to be treated, others can have a significant impact on the heart’s ability to fill up with blood and pump it to the rest of the body, the AHA says. When this disruption to the heart’s rhythm is left untreated, eventually heart failure and other cardiac problems can occur, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 

“The rhythm of the heart may become too fast, and because the heart is beating fast all the time, eventually the cardiac muscle tires and becomes dysfunctional, and then heart failure can happen,” Lourdes Prieto, MD, the director of the division of cardiology at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, tells SELF.

“We can see arrhythmia in babies, but it can also be seen in young adults and 40- and 50-year-olds,” Dr. Prieto notes, adding that an arrhythmia is more likely to lead to heart failure in people who have additional underlying structural heart problems, like congenital heart disease or cardiomyopathy. Luckily, most arrhythmias can be managed with medication and lifestyle modifications, ultimately reducing your risk for heart failure and other cardiac issues now and as you get older.

If you have a family history or medical condition that predisposes you to heart failure at an early age, that doesn’t mean it’s absolutely going to happen to you. Talk to your doctor about how regular screening, lifestyle changes, and treatment (if it’s appropriate) can help you keep tabs on your ticker and make sure it’s in it for the long haul.

“We’re making more diagnoses of genetic cardiomyopathy because of the easy ability to obtain genetic screening for family members with it,” Marc Goldschmidt, MD, director of the Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center at the Stony Brook Heart Institute, tells SELF. This means doctors can catch—and treat—heart failure, or damage to the heart that could lead to heart failure, earlier.

3. Peripartum cardiomyopathy 

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that occurs sometime within the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after giving birth, according to the AHA. When someone develops the condition, the heart becomes weak and enlarged. It doesn’t pump blood as well as it should and can lead to heart failure.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy can be tricky to diagnose because many of its symptoms, like fatigue and swollen ankles, mimic typical pregnancy symptoms.⁶ The underlying cause is also unclear, the AHA notes. Many people recover completely from it, while others experience lasting complications.

“While somewhere between 50% and 80% of people’s hearts completely recover, many continue to have impaired heart function and are at risk for worsening heart failure,” Dr. Marshall says. Some people who experience peripartum cardiomyopathy are also at an increased risk of experiencing the condition again in other pregnancies. Dr. Doctorian notes that the safety of a subsequent pregnancy depends primarily upon whether the heart function has fully recovered or not beforehand.

4. Substance use

“Among young people coming to the hospital with heart failure, I commonly see substance use as the cause—especially heavy alcohol or methamphetamine use,” Dr. Doctorian says.⁷ Other illicit drugs like cocaine can also impact the heart muscle and lead to heart failure with continued use.⁸ The way substance use contributes to heart failure is a bit different depending on the type of substance. 

Heavy alcohol consumption, such as frequent binge drinking or drinking about six or more drinks each day for five years or more, can lead to alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy, where the heart becomes enlarged. This can weaken the heart muscle, impact its ability to pump blood, and potentially contribute to heart failure and other serious problems. Some people may recover from alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy by fully abstaining, but others may need to take medication or even have surgery to repair heart valves or insert a pacemaker or another type of implantable device, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Meanwhile, methamphetamine use can cause various forms of heart damage, including inflammation, heart muscle scarring, coronary artery disease, and damage to the heart muscle cells, which can then lead to heart failure. Typically, the longer someone uses, the more damage their heart will sustain, Dr. Doctorian says. Prolonged methamphetamine use has been associated with a severe form of dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle becomes weak and can’t pump blood as effectively.⁹ Research shows that people who use methamphetamine experience heart disease at increased intensity and younger ages than is typical among the population at large.⁹

5. Arrhythmia

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. According to the AHA, it can cause the heartbeat to be too slow, too fast, or even erratic, where the heart feels like it’s fluttering or skipping a beat. While some arrhythmias are considered harmless and may not need to be treated, others can have a significant impact on the heart’s ability to fill up with blood and pump it to the rest of the body, the AHA says. When this disruption to the heart’s rhythm is left untreated, eventually heart failure and other cardiac problems can occur, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 

“The rhythm of the heart may become too fast, and because the heart is beating fast all the time, eventually the cardiac muscle tires and becomes dysfunctional, and then heart failure can happen,” Lourdes Prieto, MD, the director of the division of cardiology at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, tells SELF.

“We can see arrhythmia in babies, but it can also be seen in young adults and 40- and 50-year-olds,” Dr. Prieto notes, adding that an arrhythmia is more likely to lead to heart failure in people who have additional underlying structural heart problems, like congenital heart disease or cardiomyopathy. Luckily, most arrhythmias can be managed with medication and lifestyle modifications, ultimately reducing your risk for heart failure and other cardiac issues now and as you get older.

If you have a family history or medical condition that predisposes you to heart failure at an early age, that doesn’t mean it’s absolutely going to happen to you. Talk to your doctor about how regular screening, lifestyle changes, and treatment (if it’s appropriate) can help you keep tabs on your ticker and make sure it’s in it for the long haul.

 

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To Protect Against Congenital Heart Defects, Fathers-to-Be Should Avoid Alcohol Six Months Before Conception

Aspiring parents should both avoid drinking alcohol prior to conception to protect against congenital heart defects, according to research published today (October 2, 2019) in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Drinking alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester was associated with a 44% raised risk of congenital heart disease for fathers and 16% for mothers, compared to not drinking. Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks per sitting, was related to a 52% higher likelihood of these birth defects for men and 16% for women.

‘Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behavior that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health,’ said study author Dr Jiabi Qin, of Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Dr Qin said the results suggest that when couples are trying for a baby, men should not consume alcohol for at least six months before fertilization while women should stop alcohol one year before and avoid it while pregnant.

Congenital heart diseases are the most common birth defects, with approximately 1.35 million babies affected every year. These conditions can increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease later life, even after surgical treatment, and are the main cause of perinatal death. Alcohol is a known teratogen and has been connected with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Around one in four children with FASD have congenital heart disease, indicating that alcohol might also be implicated in these disorders.

Previous studies investigating the link between alcohol and congenital heart disease have focused on prospective mothers, with inconclusive results. This is the first meta-analysis to examine the role of paternal alcohol drinking.

The researchers compiled the best data published between 1991 and 2019, which amounted to 55 studies including 41,747 babies with congenital heart disease and 297,587 without. The analysis showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between parental alcohol drinking and congenital heart diseases.

Dr Qin said: ‘We observed a gradually rising risk of congenital heart diseases as parental alcohol consumption increased. The relationship was not statistically significant at the lower quantities.’

Regarding specific defects, the study found that compared to abstinence, maternal drinking was correlated to a 20% greater risk of tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four abnormalities in the heart’s structure.

The authors noted that this was an observational study and does not prove a causal effect, nor does it prove that paternal drinking is more harmful to the fetal heart than maternal drinking. The data cannot be used to define a cut-off of alcohol consumption that might be considered safe.

Dr Qin said: ‘The underlying mechanisms connecting parental alcohol and congenital heart diseases are uncertain and warrant further research. Although our analysis has limitations — for example the type of alcohol was not recorded — it does indicate that men and women planning a family should give up alcohol.’

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Why aspiring parents should avoid drinking alcohol

Researchers have found that drinking alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester was associated with a 44 per cent raised risk of congenital heart disease for fathers and 16 per cent for mothers.

Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks per sitting, was related to a 52 per cent higher likelihood of birth defects for men and 16 per cent for women.

Both aspiring parents should avoid drinking alcohol ahead of conception to protect against congenital heart defects, according to the study published recently.

"Binge drinking by would-be parents is a high risk and dangerous behaviour that not only may increase the chance of their baby being born with a heart defect, but also greatly damages their own health," said study author.

The results suggested that when couples are trying for a baby, men should not consume alcohol for at least six months before fertilisation while women should stop alcohol one year before and avoid it during pregnancy.

For the study, the researchers compiled the best data published between 1991 and 2019, which amounted to 55 studies including 41,747 babies with congenital heart disease and 297,587 without.
The analysis showed that a nonlinear dose-response relationship between parental alcohol drinking and congenital heart diseases.

"We observed a gradually rising risk of congenital heart diseases as parental alcohol consumption increased. The relationship was not statistically significant at the lower quantities," the author said.

Regarding specific defects, the study found that compared to abstinence, maternal drinking was correlated to a 20 per cent greater risk of tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four abnormalities in the heart's structure.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Congenital Heart Disease Directly Linked to Cancer in Young Patients

Many contemporary discussions on our collective human fight against cancer center on the significance of genetics as related to the onset of this hydra-headed disease.

Swedish researchers have recently established a clear connection between congenital heart disease (CHD) and the risk of cancer development in a controlled study of thousands of children and young adults.

Utilizing data from the national Swedish Patient and Cause of Death Registers to pair subjects with CHD from 1970-1993 with subjects of the same birth year, gender and county without CHD revealed a wealth of comorbidity for those with the genetic heart defect and cancers of varying kinds.

Arguably the most disconcerting piece of evidence yielded in this study suggests that the risk of cancer for the most current birth cohort with CHD remains significantly higher than those observed in older cohorts.

Some of this discrepancy is attributed to the early mortality rates of older CHD cohorts due to noteworthy lacks in medical advancement associated with those times. Many CHD patients in the older cohorts simply did not survive CHD long enough to get cancer.

This study represents the first to probe the long-range occurrence of cancer from birth to 41 years of age in participants with any kind of CHD where surgery was a non-factor. Amid the persistent discussion in the world community of cardiologists about whether the prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation associated with most heart surgeries increases the likelihood of cancer in surgery patients, these recent findings support the notion that cardiac catheterization can be a heavy, but not independent, influence.

Patients who had received a full heart transplant seemed to fare the worst in these new statistics, a fact which encourages the study's conclusion that multifactorial stress and clinical exposure components underly much of the atypically high cancer prevalence in CHD patients. Alongside the obvious stresses of the consistent medical imposition posed by a life with CHD, this study further explicates the impact of the natural limitations associated with the disease as relates to cancer susceptibility.

Commonly offered cancer-preventative advice, such as eating a healthy diet and increasing exercise, given to otherwise healthy individuals can be nearly impossible to apply to the realities of the reduced oxygen intake, lower isotonic muscle tone and greater exercise-intolerance experienced by the typical CHD patient.

With their relative vulnerability to cancer representing twice that of a non-CHD patient, the findings surrounding these Swedish children and young adults suggest that a much more in-depth look at the connections between palliative treatments and procedures concerning all groups is both requisite and urgent. 

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Older dads put health of partners, unborn kids at risk

Men who delay starting a family have a ticking “biological clock” — just like women — that may affect the health of their partners and children, according to the researchers.

Men who delay fatherhood should consult their doctor and consider banking sperm before age 35, said the study which reviewed 40 years of research on the effect of parental age on fertility, pregnancy and the health of children.

“While it is widely accepted that physiological changes that occur in women after 35 can affect
 conception, pregnancy and the health of the child, most men do not realize their advanced age can have a similar impact,” said a researcher.

The study, found that men aged 45 and older can experience decreased fertility and put their partners at risk for increased pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and preterm birth.

Infants born to older fathers were found to be at higher risk of premature birth, late still birth, low birth weight, higher incidence of newborn seizures and birth defects such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate.

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Scientists find link between congenital cardiac malformation and adult adrenal cancer

An international team  discovered a genetic mutation that explains why adults with severe congenital heart defects—who live with low oxygen in their blood—are at dramatically high risk for adrenal gland cancer.
 
The study focused on patients who were born with cyanotic congenital heart disease and went on to develop adrenal gland or related tumors called pheochromocytomas or paragangliomas. Detailed genetic analysis of these cases revealed mutations in a gene that regulates a hypoxia (low oxygen)-related pathway called EPAS1, also known as HIF2A. Cyanotic refers to a bluish or purplish discoloration that occurs when blood levels of oxygen are low. Patients with cyanotic heart disease have a sixfold higher risk of developing the adrenal gland tumors than patients without this severe type of heart disease, but the genetic basis for this heightened incidence was unknown.

An amplified response
"It was suspected that in patients with cyanotic heart disease, the low oxygen levels might lead directly to the growth of pheochromocytomas," said a professor of medicine. "We found instead that a genetic mutation is the main reason why the tumor can appear in these patients. Most remarkably, the mutation turns on the main gene that causes the body to respond to low oxygen, further amplifying this response."

"This finding provides important insights into our understanding of how the body adapts to conditions of low oxygen and how this can lead to tumors," said  the Dr.

A perfect storm
"We found that this mutation is not inherited but is acquired later," the Dr. said. "The patient's heart  disease may create conditions that make it more likely for the mutation to appear. Understanding this mechanism requires further studies."

Importantly, clinical-grade inhibitors of HIF2A exist and are in early clinical trials for a variety of conditions, including pheochromocytomas. "Thus, this discovery can potentially have an impact on patients' lives," the  Dr. said. 

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