STHS Raising Awareness Of Prevalence Of Heart Failure With Online Seminar

For the next installment of its monthly Let’s Talk Your Health webinar series, STHS will raise awareness of heart failure and the important lifestyle changes required to combat the life-threatening condition

In order to supply all cells and organs with oxygen and nutrient rich blood, the body depends on the heart’s ability to fill and contract. Heart failure, however, affects the pumping action of the heart muscles and causes the body to not receive the oxygen it needs, leading to fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling in the lower extremities.

A multi-faceted condition, heart failure is caused by a weakened or damaged heart that prevents the muscle from pumping blood as it should. The life-threatening condition affects an estimated 6.7 million adults over the age of 20 in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with heart failure mentioned as the cause of the death on 457,212 death certificates in 2022 alone.

Steadily increasing over the last decade, especially among younger adults, the prevalence of heart failure is expected to nearly double to a staggering 11.4 million by 2050, per the CDC. Health experts blame the rising numbers on the nation’s obesity epidemic, as well as increasing rates of high blood pressure across the country.

“While heart failure is common, it can be rather difficult to diagnose,” says Deborah Meeks, Chief Nursing Officer, South Texas Health System Heart. “Because the heart can’t pump as well as it should and the body isn’t getting the blood it needs to function properly, the heart can sometimes enlarge, develop more muscle mass or pump faster. While these measures are intended to increase the heart’s output, these compensation methods can also mask heart failure, making it hard to diagnose in a timely manner.”

Unlike a heart attack, heart failure happens gradually over time and can lead to hospitalization, even death, as it worsens. Unhealthy habits like excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, consuming foods heavy in fat, cholesterol and sodium and not getting sufficient exercise can all contribute to heart failure.

While the condition cannot always be improved, there are situations where an early diagnoses, treatment and aggressive lifestyle changes can make a positive difference.

“The key to possibly reversing the effects of heart failure, and essentially prolonging your life, is to make necessary changes to support a heart healthy lifestyle,” shares Meeks. “By prioritizing heart health and following a strict regimen, one may be able to improve heart function, thus, improving overall health.”

So, as part of its American Heart Month commemorations, South Texas Health System is dedicating its latest Let’s Talk Your Health webinar to heart failure.

Intended to help Rio Grande Valley residents understand the risks and effects of heart failure and the impact the condition can have on a person’s quality of life, the webinar will stream live via the STHS Facebook page on Tuesday, February 18, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Led by an STHS Clinics interventional cardiologist, the online seminar will highlight the causes, risk factors and complications of heart failure, as well as offer advice on protecting and promoting your heart health.

For more information on the webinar, visit the STHS Facebook Events page. To watch previous Let’s Talk Your Health Seminars, visit STHSLetsTalk.com.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.