Heart failure

When someone is in heart failure, their heart has a much harder time pumping blood throughout the body. Often people with heart failure don’t realise their heart is struggling and is pumping less. Symptoms only appear when the heart can’t compensate anymore.

Because of the decreased pumping function during heart failure, other organs don’t get enough oxygen. This can cause problems such as breathlessness, fatigue, fluid (swollen legs and ankles), restless sleep and frequent urination.

Causes

Heart failure can be caused by many things, such as a blocked coronary artery, as well as cardiac arrhythmia or high blood pressure. It can also be caused by a viral infection, a genetic disorder or a disease of the heart valves or heart muscle.

Other conditions

In the Netherlands nearly 142,000 people experience heart failure. It is often associated with other conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems, COPD, depression, sleep disorders and anemia.

Therapy

Often the symptoms of heart failure get worse over time. Depending on the underlying cause and stage of the disease, treatment varies from person to person. To successfully treat patients as well as possible we offer specialised treament plans to suit their exact needs. This is especially important for patients with complex, chronic heart failure and severe physical limitations and daily functioning.