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Heart failure is the only cardiac related disease that is actually growing in the United States. Yet even though it is striking more and more patients at younger ages, there is reason for hope according to Sharon Rubin, M.D., a heart failure specialist at the Jefferson Heart Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

 “Heart failure is a treatable condition,” says Dr. Rubin, who also sees patients at Jefferson Healthcare-Voorhees. “In addition to prescription medications and investigation therapies, we can offer devices such as bi-ventricular pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators which can improve heart failure symptoms and patient survival.”
 
Implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) have been shown to prevent sudden death in patients with heart failure but who don’t have any obvious symptoms. “Last year, recognizing their effectiveness, Medicare agreed to reimburse the cost of ICDs when they are used for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death,” Dr. Rubin says.

For heart failure patients who suffer with symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue, a bi-ventricular pacemaker is often recommended, according to Dr. Rubin, who is also clinical associate professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College. “These devices synchronize the contractions of the pumping chambers of the heart which can improve the efficiency of the heart’s function.”
 
Heart failure remains a growing problem in the United States even as the overall incidence of heart disease is slowly dropping. Recent statistics show that some 80 percent of those over age 65 who are discharged from U.S. hospitals have heart failure as one of their diagnoses. With an aging population—including Baby Boomers who are beginning to reach retirement age—it is estimated that roughly 555,000 people in this country will develop heart failure this year.

Often the symptoms of heart failure such as fatigue, labored breathing or swelling of the legs are gradual and therefore may go unnoticed by the patient for a period of time, Dr. Rubin says. “The symptoms of heart failure may, at times, be quite subtle and patients often unconsciously adapt their lifestyle to minimize their symptoms.”

Dr. Rubin also points out that recently, physicians have learned that not all populations react the same way to the medicines used to treat heart failure. “These are extremely important findings. For example, we now know that certain drugs may work better for men than for women and others work better for African Americans than Caucasians. We recognize that it is important to better evaluate the effects of medications in these different populations.”

To make an appointment with a Jefferson Heart Failure specialist in Voorhees, N.J. or Center City, Philadelphia, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW.