Shortness Of Breath
Feeling out of breath? It could occur during activity or even at rest, stemming from a variety of cardiac conditions like heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, or valvular heart disease. Breathlessness related to heart issues often accompanies other symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, and swollen legs. However, breathlessness might also be attributed to non-cardiac causes like lung disease, obesity, poor cardiorespiratory fitness, or anemia.
Investigating breathlessness
Detailed clinical assessment and additional investigations are typically necessary for patients experiencing breathlessness, including:
- Blood tests such as natriuretic peptides (NTproBNP)
- Echocardiogram
- Chest radiograph (CXR)
- Lung function/spirometry tests
Managing heart failure
Investigating breathlessness can help identify issues with heart function, potentially leading to a diagnosis of heart failure. Numerous medical treatments aim to alleviate symptoms, reduce hospitalizations, and enhance survival. These treatments encompass established drug therapies like ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), as well as newer agents like Sacubitril/Valsartan (ARNI). Some patients might benefit from invasive procedures like biventricular pacemaker and defibrillator insertion.
