Congestive Heart Failure and the Benefits of Exercise - Essay Example

? Congestive Heart Failure and the benefits of exercise Congestive Heart Failure and the benefits of exercise Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart is unable to complete its task of pumping blood into the body, which is filled with oxygen. It is caused by several reasons. Diseases that result in deterioration of the heart muscles lead to congestive heart failure. Also, the hardening and thickening of the heart muscles can lead to heart failure. The coronary arteries supplying oxygen concentrated blood to the heart muscles can get narrowed by deposition of fatty materials and because of thrombosis. This can reduce the flow of blood to the heart muscles, which fail to work effectively resulting in the inadequate working of the heart. In addition to this, diseases which give rise to more oxygen demand by the body tissues also result in heart failure, as the heart becomes incapable of pumping sufficient blood to the body tissues. When the ventricles of the heart contract, blood is pumped into the aorta and the pulmonary vein, which take blood to different parts of the body and the lungs respectively. There are different factors which can reduce the pumping capability of the muscles in the ventricles. They can be weakened by heart attacks, infections and different toxic substances such as alcohol. After each contraction the muscles of the ventricles relax, to allow blood to flow from the atria to the ventricles. Illnesses such as hemochromatosis or amyloidosis can harden the heart muscles and spoil the ventricles’ ability to relax and fill, which is called diastolic dysfunction. Several years of alcohol intake can also hinder the heart’s capability to pump blood effectively to different parts of the body, thus causing heart failure (Medicine net 2012). There are various symptoms of congestive heart failure, but the common ones are tiredness, reduced exercise capacity, shortness of breath and swelling. The failure to perform exercise for even a brief period of time is one of the first few symptoms that show that a person is suffering from CHF. Inability to withstand normal exercise without suffering from fatigue and dyspnea is said to be the first diagnosis for heart failure. Therefore, exercise in general is not prescribed to patients with congestive heart failure. But still it remains a controversial issue. Some doctors state that patients with CHF already have a weak heart, and increased amount of work will only create more problems for the patient. But it is also a fact, that exercise has some long term benefits for people with CHF, and can greatly improve the performance of the heart. Ejection Fraction is the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricles with each heartbeat or cardiac cycle. It is usually shown as a percentage and ranges between 55% and 80% (for the average American). Less than 55% means that the ejection fraction is not being carried out properly, and the blood is piling up in the heart, making the heart swell and heavy. This is what usually occurs when patients with CHF undergo strenuous cardiovascular exercises, more specifically aerobic exercise. Increased exercise can put more stress on the heart, and decrease the contracting ability of the ventricles and thus, leading to a decreased ejection fraction. These short-term effects can be harmful to a patient with CHF since at the start of the exercise program, the patient will be exerting themselves more than what their cardiac system is used to taking. But the long-term effects of such exercises can be very helpful to the patients, as it increases the cardiac output of their hearts. It is reported that exercise not only makes the muscles of the heart stronger, it also prevents the blood from becoming thick (blood coagulation forming a thrombus), thus resulting in easier flow of the blood. This can cause the contraction of the ventricles to increase over a period of time, making it easier for the heart to pump blood to different parts of the body. The inability to breathe properly in CHF patients makes exercise a very laborious activity, and continuation of exercise can even lead to life-threatening effects. As the heart is unable to function properly, it cannot deliver sufficient blood to the lungs for oxygenation. Thus, the oxygen concentration in the blood reduces and it becomes impossible for the patient to continue the exercise and even simple tasks become difficult for him. But exercise training has been said to improve the function and strength of the heart muscles, thus regulating blood flow to the lungs and reducing the risk of dyspnea, which is the shortness of breath. (Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society 2012) Cardiovascular training also increased the ability of the heart to pump blood more effectively and eventually increasing the concentration of oxygen in the blood, and bringing it to normal concentrations. “Cardiovascular or aerobic is a steady physical activity that involves using large muscle groups. This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body's ability to use oxygen. Aerobic exercise has the most benefits for your heart.” The key to success here is not doing too much or too little. The problem is that most people tend to go on exercise binges when they start rehab and that can actually make the heart overwork and lead to more problems than benefits. For a person recovering from a congestive heart disease slow walking for about twenty to thirty minutes a day will help. If any pain or shortness of breath is felt then on the exercise should be stopped. Contrary to the prior belief, pain is not good. Exercise therapists say that when you feel pain or shortness of breath, you should take a break and then resume after a couple of minutes. Exercise has shown to improve the heart condition of CHF patients. But there are different kinds of exercises, and not all of them are equally helpful. Aerobic exercises have been reported to be more beneficial to the patients. A brief period of aerobic exercise can result in a sufficient increase in oxygen in the blood, and thus regulate the flow of blood. Higher the amount of aerobic exercise leads to a higher amount of oxygen concentration in the blood. On the other hand, regular resistance training has not shown to increase much oxygen in the blood. Little improvement is observed in patients who have only resorted to resistance training, and their cardiovascular function has not improved much. Hypertension is another factor which results in CHF. It is marked my high levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which makes it hinders with the functioning of the heart. Studies have shown that aerobic exercises help in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It is said to prevent high blood pressures within a person, as he grows older. It strengthens the heart muscles and helps a person greatly when he becomes old. While, resistance training has reported to have shown an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and therefore should not be prescribed to patients suffering from CHF (Kravitz 2012). More vibrant resistance training either results in a little decrease in blood pressure, or no change in blood pressure. The physiological considerations of aerobic exercise include an increase in demand for oxygen supply (to the tissues) and help the more effective functioning of the heart. Resistance training is not prescribed to patients with CHF. The rate-pressure product (RPP) decreases with resistance training because the heart is not functioning properly, or as it would on a normal basis. Also increased blood pressure makes resistance training risky with patients suffering from CHF. Both resistance and aerobic training have their benefits and definitely increase physical fitness of a person. But aerobic training is stated to be more helpful for patients with CHF, and also prevents the occurrence of multiple risk factors which can lead to similar heart diseases and other cardiovascular complications. (American Heart Association 2012) Resistance training has also said to have helped old and frail patients with CHF. It is important to start slowly and add a couple of minutes of more exercise everyday but anybody, especially people vulnerable to heart problems should exercise seven days a week. The heart is a muscle, it needs exercise to function effectively but at the same time it needs to rest as well. Weight lifting is another form of exercise which previously heart patients were excluded from; Mark Williams, Ph.D., the statement writing group chair and professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb says that weight lifting is a compliment to the aerobic exercise and not a replacement. It weight lifting and aerobic exercises are carried out simultaneously it would help strength the muscles while at the same time give the patients are little independence in doing their own tasks, like groceries and cleaning and carrying around the house. Exercise is said to decrease the risks of the symptoms of heart failure, but it should be used more like a preventive measure. The vast advantage of exercise can help the patients suffering from heart failure, and can lessen their suffering. (Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society 2012) Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in the world, and regular exercise can surely help the patients suffering from CHF. Up till now there has been no medicine, which is said to do more benefit to a CHF patient, than regular exercise. References "MedicineNet.com." MedicineNet. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. http://www.medicinenet.com/congestive_heart_failure/article.htm Aerobics vs. resistance training. (n.d.). Dr. Len Kravitz Home. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://www.drlenkravitz.com/Articles/aerobicresistanc.html Resistance Exercise in Individuals With and Without Cardiovascular Disease : Benefits, Rationale, Safety, and PrescriptionAn Advisory From the Committee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention, Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association . (n.d.). Circulation . Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/101/7/828.full#R5 Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences. (n.d.). Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society - Human Sciences. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://www.kon.org/urc/v7/mitkov.html WebMD - Better information. Better health.. (n.d.). WebMD - Better information. Better health.. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Read More