Do people with HF have heart attacks? I know it happens the other way due to damage to the heart following h.a. but can it happen other way?

[Love100cats]

Heart attack following heart failure?

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Having heart failure doesn't make you any more likely to have a heart attack but can increase your chances of cardiac arrest. That's what my doctors told me anyway. Guess it depends on cause of heart failure too, though.

[Love100cats in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Thankyou. That was quick! I had sudden onset h.f. but have no blocked arteries or 'mechanical' defects but an old tired heart affected by high b.p., stress, overweight etc. I'm just mapping out looking after my old heart as best I can.

[Gardener17 in reply to Love100cats]

Sounds just like my husband. Very quick onset and subsequent tests showed AF and an echo showed heart not pumping well much as yourself. Bisoprolol, furosemide, warfarin and recently Rampiril. Now waiting for stress MRI and maybe electric shock to try to restore rhythm. Feel unsure about that as not likely to work apparently and if it does it doesn’t sound as though it works for very long.

[Love100cats in reply to Gardener17]

Thankyou. Every comment is like a piece of a jigsaw and making a clearer picture for me.

[Prada47]

The basic answer to your question is Yes people with Heart Failure do have Heart Attacks. As Laura pointed out one of the Major Problems is a possible Cardiac Arrest due to irregular Heart Beat (AF). The other problem associated with H F is the possibility of a Clot forming with the consequences associated with a Stroke, or a clot blocking a Cardiac Artery causing a Heart Attack. These are Risks which can be controlled to a certain extent with Medication and Mechanical Intervention ( Pacemaker ) Ablation etc. Personally I believe both risks are being managed in my individual situation through my GP and Heart Failure Nurse.

Regards

[Love100cats in reply to Prada47]

Thanks for a very concise post. I'm one of those who needs to know what could happen then tuck it away and get on with day to day life. I don't want to waste energy guessing or imagining what might happen.