Diagnosed with Heart Failure last week.

[OTP56]

I have had AF for many years, Hypertension more recently and following an EchoCardiogram last week, I was diagnosed with Heart Failure (HFpEF) in the left chamber. My BP is currently 145/60 and my resting heart rate, always slow about 40 bpm. I am still trying to get my head around it all to process this news.

The Cardiologist wrote up the findings in letter to GP and advised additional Meds which I have started. Personally I have decided to lose some weight hopefully about 6kg, reduce alcohol, reduce work and volunteering activities but increase exercise and gym visits, lifestyle changes, I am 68.

I see many other talk about an HFpEF percentage, this was not on my letter, I will ask.

I have much to learn about what this all means partly by reverting to forums like this as my goal is to try and stay reasonably fit and active for as long as possible

[PadThaiNoodles]

The little 'p' in HFpEF means "preserved" ejection fraction, which means your percentage is still normal (between 55% and 70% or thereabouts). HFrEF would mean "reduced" ejection fraction, and there you'd see the EF percentage reported.

The "Heart Failure" part means that your body isn't getting as much oxygenated blood as it would like. Since your EF is preserved (ie: your heart is pumping out a good amount of the blood that it sucked in), this usually means that your heart isn't filling enough on the intake.

I myself have valve issues, but I'm sure others will be along to offer their experiences with HF.

[OTP56 in reply to PadThaiNoodles]

Thank you, that is good to know (well kind of!). My letter says about left ventricle, "evidence of diastolic dysfunction with raised filling pressures"; I assume that means the intake of blood isn't enough? The Cardiologist rattled off so much technical stuff after the Echocardiogram, I found it difficult to understand and take in. To be fair, he wrote it up the same day, I have just been trying to translate from medical terminology ever since! I am starting to get it.

[PadThaiNoodles in reply to OTP56]

Yes, as the heart relaxes it creates a negative pressure which should suck blood in from the atrium. If the pressure is too high (ie: the heart didn't relax enough), then it won't suck in enough blood.