Normal Heart Function

Normal heart function

Each of the two chambers of the heart can fill with approx. 65-240ml of blood, depending on the effort. 55%-70% of these are emitted into the two circuits per heartbeat. The EF from the left ventricle is called LVEF and the EF from the right RVEF and is expressed in %.

We feel each ejected heart volume as pulse wave about 60-100 times per minute. If the heart muscle is diseased, it can lead to a restriction of the pump functions and to an insufficient ejection performance of the heart.

What happens in heart failure

If the pumping function is restricted, it can repeatedly lead to blood and water congestion in the organs and tissues in front of the heart chambers. In the beginning, however, the more the pump function is reduced, the more likely it is to struggle for air at rest. In the worst case, an acute accumulation of water can occur in the lung itself and also next to the lung. If the pumping function of the right side of the heart is impaired, there is a congestion of blood in the veins, especially in the liver, abdomen and legs, and water can escape from the vessels into the adjacent connective tissue. Normal heart function

The abdomen swells unpleasantly and leg edemas form. Overall, patients feel a restriction of the pumping function of the heart muscle as an increasing limitation of performance and shortness of breath. With less and less effort, they reach their limits. Due to the poorer ejection performance, the organs and muscles are also supplied with more restricted amounts.

The kidney, which is less supplied with blood during the day, produces more urine, especially when lying down at night, resulting in an increased urge to urinate.

How heart failure is treated

Due to this increasingly frequent disease, research in this area is very active and new findings on optimal therapy are constantly emerging.

A combination of some drugs has been shown to be very effective in all 3 points.