Heart patients urged to get a second opinion

"Reassurance" was a theme Saturday during the Deseret Morning News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline on heart failure.

A good portion of the callers wanted to know that they were receiving the right treatment for their diagnosis of heart failure.

It's understandable, said Judith Sampson, an advanced practice registered nurse in LDS Hospital's heart failure program. "Even if you're getting optimal treatment, I always tell patients a second opinion is good."

Sampson, cardiologist Dr. A.G. Kfoury, medical director of the hospitals heart transplant program, and Amy Whipple, clinical cardiac transplant nurse coordinator, talked to callers about symptoms and concerns during the busy two-hour hotline. Calls came in from as far away as Texas and Alaska.

Because heart failure can be complex, with many possible causes and a variety of symptoms, as well as different treatment options, Whipple suggests that patients write down the questions they have each time they see a doctor. That's already done, to some extent, in the heart failure program at LDS Hospital, she said, because patients keep a diary that documents important things like weight during the course of their treatment.

"That way," she said, "we know where they're going."

Five million Americans have heart failure, and the number is growing. And although patients can live a very full, active life with tight control of their illness, anyone with that diagnosis is six to nine times more likely to die from heart-related causes, Kfoury said.

Causes vary widely, from a heart attack to coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and even a virus. Genetics also play a role in some cases. And sometimes it's not possible to tell what triggered heart failure, which is weakness of the heart muscle that keeps it from pumping efficiently.

Whipple said a diagnosis generally involves a chest X-ray to see if the heart is enlarged and an EKG.

Treatments range from medicines like beta blockers and ACE inhibitors to mechanical support. For severe cases, the best long-term treatment is a heart transplant, but there simply aren't enough donor hearts.

Whipple and Sampson emphasized to several callers the importance of staying active and keeping track of weight gain.

---

E-mail: lois@desnews.com