The treatment of heart failure in the elderly mainly focuses on actively treating the primary disease, preventing risk factors, improving symptoms through the application of drugs, improving quality of life and improving prognosis.
Although heart failure in the elderly can not be completely cured, through active treatment, it can effectively improve the patient’s symptoms, improve the quality of life and prolong life.
1. Actively treat the primary disease, heart failure in the elderly is often secondary to acute myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia and so on. Therefore, it is necessary to find the primary cause of the disease and treat the primary disease, which can effectively slow down the progress of the disease.
2. The existence of heart failure should actively prevent risk factors, usually pay attention to keep warm, prevent cold and flu; usually pay attention to control the intake of water and sodium salt, increase the intake of high protein and high calorie food, each meal is 60% to 70% full, avoid full meals. Avoid exertion, pay attention to rest.
3. Medications: diuretics such as furosemide can reduce edema and heart preload; ACEI or ARB drugs such as Benadryl and Irbesartan can slow down ventricular remodeling and delay the development of the disease; digitalis drugs such as digoxin can enhance myocardial contraction; β-blockers such as metoprolol can slow down the heart rate, reduce the myocardial oxygen consumption, and reduce the rate of sudden death.
The presence of heart failure in the elderly is recommended to go to the cardiology department of the hospital as soon as possible for treatment.