What’s behind shortness of breath? A lung problem? Not necessarily… This symptom can also be a sign of heart failure. Here are the explanations of Pr Michel Galinier, cardiologist at the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Toulouse.
“We must distinguish shortness of breath at rest, caused by a respiratory pathology, from rapid and progressive shortness of breath which is of cardiac origin. Often, patients say that they began to feel short of breath while climbing a We ask them if they feel this shortness of breath when going to bed, if they need an extra pillow when lying down or if this discomfort occurs when they lean forward , to tie their shoes for example. They often think that it is an effect of aging while this progressive shortness of breath comes from the heart. Patients speak more easily of a feeling of fatigue on exertion, “explains Professor Michel Galinier , cardiologist at the University Hospital of Toulouse and specialist in heart failure.
EPOF: shortness of breath, rapid weight gain, edema, fatigue
He continues: “There is favorable ground for the development of this heart failure: an already known heart disease, the presence of risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, tobacco.
Other symptoms lead to the diagnosis of heart failure. They are summarized under the acronym EPOF: shortness of breath, rapid weight gain, edema and fatigue. Edema (legs, feet, ankles that swell bilaterally) or rapid weight gain are rarely reasons for consultation, but they are important markers in the follow-up once the disease has been diagnosed.
The signs of heart failure are harmless. Who is never tired? It is not a clear sign like pain in the chest. We therefore observe a delay in diagnosis. And all the more so since heart failure is little known (Medicare has just made it a national cause) and it is often believed that it is linked to old age. The average age is certainly 77 years old, but you can be heart failure at birth or at 40.
“Treatments have progressed a lot”
“Today, through a blood test that identifies biomarkers, we can sort out lung disease and heart disease. A cardiac ultrasound will confirm the diagnosis and, above all, will allow us to say what type of heart failure is suffering from. the patient in order to treat it. Treatments have progressed a lot, mortality linked to heart failure has been divided by three over the last twenty years”, concludes Professor Michel Galinier.
