Understanding Heart Failure: Visual Explanation for Students

This episode covers the pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis causes and management of chronic heart failure. We also look in detail at a phenomenon called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea.

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DISCLAIMER: This video is for education and entertainment only, and is not medical advice. This video should NOT be used for medical advice or to guide clinical practice. The Zero to Finals content should not be used in any way to guide medical decision making. Zero to Finals takes no responsibility for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided. Local and national guidelines and senior clinicians are there to help you make decisions, not YouTube videos. If you need medical advice or information, seek it from an appropriately trained and licenced doctor or healthcare provider that can address your individual needs. Zero to Finals cannot guarantee the accuracy of information in this video. Please highlight any errors you notice in the comments below - thank you.

[Invictyn]

RIP Mom 1967-2022. She died 5 days after her 55th Birthday. It’s almost been a month and I miss talking to her about my day. She liked to listen to everything I had to say and I made her laugh when she was feeling down. She was really funny too and I miss her humour a lot. I’m turning 20 on the 18th and I’m sad she won’t be there to see it.

[VeteranHedonist]

I had Endocarditis at 38. Causing an abscess covering my heart. My Aortic valve went, I got septicaemia and pneumonia, Triple bypass, valve replacement. I'm 46 now and still living a pretty normal life. It's not the end of the world. You can recover. Never give up!

[gunblade]

I had a heart transplant in 2019 (37 years old). I was born with dilated cardiomyopathy and received a pacemaker at 14 months. Suffered a Cardiac arrest in 2018 and had a defibrillator implanted. I went down hill and spent about 7 months on the wait list. I now take over 10, 000 tablets a year, many of those being anti-rejection. If you suspect you may have an issue get it checked! Because if my amazing team I'm still here my 1 year old son (at the time of transplant - now 4 ) still has his dad.

[TechyRodsWire]

I’m 39 and heart issues run in my family. I was diagnosed last year with heart failure 😞 can no longer live like I use to but have a great team of drs and I’m very happy to be alive . A lot of meds and diet change just want to live to see my kids grow to be great humans

[fembot]

My husband just died on January 6th of heart failure/cardiac arrest. His heart is still being studied by a pathologist to find out exactly what happened to him. He was a perfectly healthy 44 year old. I am watching a lot of these videos to try and figure it all out. He was asthmatic so shortness of breath was considered somewhat normal for him but he did get up a few nights in the weeks before he died to take his puffer which was unusual for him. Pray for us that we get some answers. If it’s genetic my kids will need to be tested.

[mandoballs]

Had a 35min conversation with my mother’s cardiologist and I found this video 100x more helpful than anything he shared with me about my mother’s heart condition.

[stephenjones]

I had a heart attack new year's eve 2001, I was convinced that I was going to die. I was unable to get the right treatment for four days. When I was finally taken for the procedure I had five stents installed which finally stopped the pain. The treatment and after care was very good. The whole process of what had happened to me was explained at length be both the doctors involved and the after care heart nurses. Even with all this information I never really understood everything. This short little video has helped me understand what has happened to me and what the medication is for and how it works. Thank you so much.

[paolow]

Thank you that is the clearest explanation of my condition I have ever seen .no doctor has taken the time to talk about the meds I'm on or my heart condition .I have learned more in this short film than I have this last few years so Thank you again .

[barrymontgomery]

I lost my father he suffered a heart attack in his sleep. I still miss him more than a decade later. He was a very busy man when he was working as a journalist. He retired as a journalist and only had about ĺess than 20 years to live it was very sad to see him suffer from heart trouble in the final years of his life. Gone but never forgotten he was a wonderful person.

[stephaniek]

In 2018 I was admitted to the hospital for heart failure. I had a 19% ejection fraction.Turned out that I have lupus and it was attacking my heart 😢. I was also diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease. My heart is much better now with Metoprolol and Losartan. Take care of yourselves ❤

[Peterjameslewis]

As someone who has suffered from heart failure all his life this video has helped me understand the condition a lot more clearly, Many thanks.

[cvance]

I’m a cardiac arrest survivor. It was 5 years ago at 4am. My wife somehow awoke and found me non-responsive. She checked my pulse ( which there was none) She immediately started CPR and called 911. I awoke 3 days later in the hospital. She later told me everything that went down. Including the paramedics continuing CPR and using the shock device on me (2 shocks). Medically induced coma etc.... I now have an implanted defibrillator/pacemaker. Which went off and saved my life again about a year later. So I’m still here as a survivor. I became a licensed professional counselor in hopes of counseling those who experienced what I went through.

[Kesh_Bryton]

Anyone else feel the need to have their heart checked after watching this?

[jimhallissey]

I had a heart attack 2 years ago at the age of 60 I trained hard at the gym each day, id completed 3 triathlons, I got small chest pains went to the doctor and he said go straight to the hospital I thought he's got it wrong I'm okay I'm fit enough I went 2 days later I never even told my wife, when I gave the hospital a letter the doctor gave me I was rushed through, I know have 2 stents I allowed my ego to get the better of me. my wife was rightly angry with me. it does not matter how fit you are how strong you are and how young or old you are it can happen at any time to anyone. I reflect a lot on life know seeing things differently, please do not allow your ego to get in the way if I can admit to being a selfish idiot and it helps one person then something good has come from me being stupid x

[MRTRIGGERMAN]

I am 61 and developed Aortic Stenosis years ago and my body seemed to work around it for about 15 years. Just this year I developed a case of Anemia so it was recommended that I do an echocardiogram. In a years time my heart "fell off a cliff" and now have severe heart failure. I just had a heart catheter and found I need my Aortic Stenosis corrected by replacing the valve. I am doing the TAVR procedure in Denver. This video is spot on and please take the advice and stay on top of it. I am a Prostate Cancer Survivor and my Heart Specialist stated he would rather give me a Cancer Diagnosis that this. "Severe Heart Failure"
He stated I have 2 years to live untreated and an 87% chance of living 15 more years if I do this procedure. I have Grandkids to live for so I feel blessed from guys and Doctors who educate you like this Video does. To all the people who share their experiences. THANK YOU. You don't realize how much this helps save lives and the quality of those lives.

[leesanderson]

Just diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Their not sure what type. I have none of these symptoms. Hear failure and heart disease covers wide variety of issues. Every day is always so precious. X

[vble]

Stay away from junk food, gmo, refined sugars, refined salts. Get some daily exercise such as a going for long walks and don’t get into heavy intensive training which puts tremendous stress on the heart. Eat a lot of healthy fruits, vegetables, and consume mostly organic meats. Eat foods rich in potassium and magnesium which is beneficial to the heart.

[silvialogan]

My wonderful father died exactly three weeks ago with heart failure at home while sitting on his chair and watching T.V. He died peacefully on his sleep. He was 82 years old. His death was so sudden and unexpected because I was not expecting him to die so quickly like that. He has a valve replacement 18 months ago because he had a sticky valve. His death was a total shock for me because he seemed fine in the morning, lunch, and afternoon where he got up at 7:50 a.m. We were laughing and making jokes in the morning. He even drove to the grocery store to buy some beer and he watched his soccer game in the computer in the morning. At lunch, he helped me cut my meat and was happy that I was going for a walk. He had his supper because he washed his dish. He left a bowl of potato chips uneaten. When I went to speak to him at 6:00 p.m. in the evening, he did not respond and I assumed that he was fast asleep because when he was fast asleep, he did not hear me and always fell asleep after having a meal. When I went at 7 something in the evening, he still was not responding when I told him that I wanted to watch T.V. I tapped him and he still was not moving. I felt his hand and they felt as cold as ice, so I went to call my neighbors down the street for help. My neighbors called the paramedics and they did CPR on him and told me that he passed away probably from cardiac arrest. Then the police came to do an investigation on him. The doctor finally came and examined him and told me that his cause of death was heart failure and that he had been having it for quite a long time. She also told me even if he was not feeling ill and felt asymptomatic, it was still going to kill him. She informed that he took many heavy medications which did not help. My father's death is a huge loss for me since I was very close to him and the grieving is going to go on for quite a long time.

[vanessalees]

Great video. I wish I had watched it a few years ago when husband was diagnosed with Heart Failure.

[raychilcote]

My brother passed last year of a heart attack (blockage). Obviously makes one review those things we tend to ignore. I had arrhythmia a few years ago though they could never detect it (24 hr monitor). More recently, I get out of breath when laying down. I can sleep on my right side much better than my left side or back. Generally I can do most anything without running out of breath. This video definitely makes me learn more and discuss more with my doctor. Thank you.