Stiff Heart - diastolic heart failure

@contendandwell thats great my w n too he is a vegetarian and has his garage full of exercise equipment He would get along well with your son

@Contantandwell ,peach no thats not it but sounds yummy no this is ginger-tumeric. tea the spices but its called tea I get it from Trader Jo,s

@lioness I don't get to Trader Joe's too frequently, the closest one is about 25 miles away, but next time there I will try to remember to check that out.
JK

@Contantandwell yes and if you like the taste get several boxes This is what I do so I won't run out because I dont want to be caught without the tea it really works

@lioness
I'm going to give that a try as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

@hopeful 33250your welcome

I have been diagnosed with diastolic heart failure, this after having triple bypass surgery. Would like to hear from others in similar situation - needing more information about what to expect with this disease.

Hello @sammysky and welcome to Mayo Connect. I am glad that you joined the discussion on diastolic heart failure.

This term, heart failure, can certainly sound frightening, I know. However, there are different levels of heart failure, many are not so bad. I would encourage you to read this article from the American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure/types-of-heart-failure

Here is the introduction to the article:

"Left-sided heart failure
The heart's pumping action moves oxygen-rich blood as it travels from the lungs to the left atrium, then on to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body. The left ventricle supplies most of the heart's pumping power, so it's larger than the other chambers and essential for normal function. In left-sided or left ventricular (LV) heart failure, the left side of the heart must work harder to pump the same amount of blood.

There are two types of left-sided heart failure. Drug treatments are different for the two types.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), also called systolic failure: The left ventricle loses its ability to contract normally. The heart can't pump with enough force to push enough blood into circulation.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), also called diastolic failure (or diastolic dysfunction): The left ventricle loses its ability to relax normally (because the muscle has become stiff). The heart can't properly fill with blood during the resting period between each beat."

As you can see, from the article, the ejection fraction is also an important piece of information. Please take a look at a copy of your last Echo or other heart exam and see if you can find this number.

Another important factor is to think about the kind of symptoms you are having. Do you have swelling of the feet, hands? Any shortness of breath? Has the doctor prescribed any meds to deal with your symptoms?

I have had diastolic dysfunction for many years, so this diagnosis is something that you can live with for many years. It is important to adopt a heart-friendly lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and exercise.

I look forward to you posting again and hearing how you are doing.

@hopeful33250 this is really interesting and good information. I plan to keep it for reference. So far my heart is doing very well but since both my parents died from heart problems - my father from coronary thrombosis, my mother from Myocardial infarction and my older brother has had heart attacks - I sometimes feel like a ticking time bomb. I was sure when I was evaluated for my transplant that they would find heart problems that would eliminate me as a candidate but thankfully they did not.
Thanks for the info.
JK

Hi @sammysky. I have,also, been diagnosed with diastolic dysfunction. Went to Mayo in Jan. of 2015 with Afib and that’s when it was discovered. I’ve been doing pretty well with this but am now in constant Afib. Controlling it with drugs. I don’t have alot of symptoms for which I’m very grateful. I do walk 1 1/2 miles 5-6 days per week and I think that really helps. Good luck to you.