Are you among the nearly six million Americans who have heart failure? This common, yet often undiagnosed, condition occurs when a person’s heart muscles weaken and slowly lose the ability to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Heart failure causes more hospitalizations than all forms of cancer combined. Every year, 670,000 new heart failure patients are diagnosed in the United States. Bronson offers comprehensive services for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. offers comprehensive services for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure.
Services
Diagnostics
At Bronson, diagnostic procedures for heart failure include:
- Chest x-ray - a test that uses electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
- Echocardiogram (also called echo.) - a noninvasive test that uses sound waves to produce a study of the motion of the heart's chambers and valves. The echo sound waves create an image on the monitor as an ultrasound transducer is passed over the heart.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - a test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias), and detects heart muscle damage.
- BNP testing - BNP refers to B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). BNP is a hormone that is released into the blood stream when the muscle of the bottom chambers of the heart is stretched. A BNP level is a blood test that helps the doctor decide if heart failure is causing a person's symptoms.
Treatment
Treatment of heart failure at Bronson may include:
- Controlling risk factors, including limiting sodium (salt) and fat in the food you eat, stopping smoking, limiting fluid intake to 48 ounces or six cups each day, resting when you feel tired, not drinking alcohol, and monitoring your blood sugar if you are diabetic
- Taking medications, such as:
- ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) - to lower the blood pressure and block the effect of stressful hormones that are increased in the blood in heart failure
- Diuretics (sometimes called "water pills") - to help the body get rid of extra fluid
- Vasodilators - to dilate the blood vessels and reduce workload on the heart
- Digitalis - to increase heart strength and control rhythm problems
- Beta-blockers - to help slow the heart rate and block the effects of harmful receptor cells in the heart
- Aldosterone blockers - to block the effect of stressful hormones that are increased in the blood in heart failure
- Antiarrhythmic medications - to help control the heart rate (how fast the heart beats) and rhythm
- Pacemaker - a device that causes the heart to beat normally
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) - a device similar to a pacemaker. The device senses when the heart is beating too fast and delivers an electrical shock to convert the fast rhythm to a normal rhythm
- Left Ventricular Reconstruction - a procedure that reshapes the left ventricle of the heart so that it can pump blood more efficiently to the body
Quality
You can be confident in choosing Bronson for your heart care needs. After all, Bronson Methodist Hospital is best rated in Kalamazoo for cardiology according to HealthGrades® (2010).
Top 100 Heart Hospital
The 2008 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success study identifies 100 hospitals in the United States that set the highest national performance levels for both clinical and managerial excellence in heart care. Bronson is the only recipient in southwest Michigan. Read more about what it means to be a Top 100 Heart Hospital.
HealthGrades
Bronson is best rated in southwest Michigan for overall heart care by HealthGrades® 2010, one of the nation's leading authorities on hospital performance. Bronson also earned a five-star rating, the highest possible, for the treatment of heart failure.
Causes
Heart failure may result from:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) - disease in the heart arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle
- Heart attack(s) (myocardial infarction) - if a scar develops after a heart attack, it can change the heart's pumping movement
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Heart valve disease
- Cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) such as atrial fibrillation
- Diabetes
- Chronic lung problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Alcoholism
- Cardiomyopathy - occurs when there is a change in the structure of the heart that includes enlargement of the heart muscle and loss of the ability of the heart walls to effectively pump blood
- Infections of the heart valves or heart muscle
- Congenital heart disease (defects that are present at birth)
Symptoms
Symptoms of heart failure can include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain, heaviness or tightness
- Increased fatigue or feeling worn out
- Weight gain
- Increased swelling of the ankles, legs or abdomen
- Increased difficulty performing activities
Patient Education
Our Team
For profiles of physicians specializing in cardiology, cardiac surgery and other related areas, visit our Find a Doctor section.
Related Websites
www.heartfailure.org
www.abouthf.org
www.americanheart.org
www.mrsdash.com
