Celebrating the Days of Heart (less) Capacity, draws attention to heart failure and co-morbidities – Health, beauty

We invite you to free cardiologist consultations online, doctor’s lectures and physical activities to strengthen your health.

In order to draw attention to a serious and increasingly widespread diagnosis – heart failure, as well as to educate about the most frequent co-morbidities and risk factors of heart failure, the Heart (Low) Capacity Month will take place in May 2024, the activities of which are organized by the association ParSirdi.lv in cooperation with cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists and the Global Heart Hub, an international network of patient organizations.

Heart failure often develops from other diseases or, on the contrary, is caused by them. These related diseases are called comorbidities. The most common comorbidities that heart failure patients suffer from are irregular heartbeat or rhythm disorders, hypertension, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, COPD, iron deficiency, as well as mental health problems, etc.

According to international research data, approximately 30% of heart failure patients have type 2 diabetes, 33-64% of heart failure patients have chronic kidney disease, while 50% of type 2 diabetes patients have developed chronic kidney disease. Such a condition, when patients have both cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and/or kidney disease, is called cardio-renal-metabolic disorders, and they affect more than 1 billion people in the world.

On the other hand, the data collected in Latvia from the report of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control “Cardiovascular Diseases and Comorbidity”* show that the most common co-morbidity among Latvian residents, which is not another cardiovascular disease (non-CHD), is diabetes mellitus – it is noted as a co-diagnosis 15 .9% of cases, mostly for such causes of death as acute myocardial infarction, hypertensive diseases, cerebral infarction. Diabetes as a secondary diagnosis is more often noted in older persons and women.

The proportion of the most common non-SAS comorbidities as a percentage of SAS deaths, for all deceased persons in 2015-2022 per year, in the age group 18+ years

Cardiologist dr., head of the heart failure working group of the Latvian Cardiology Society Ginta Camzola: “Heart failure in itself is a serious diagnosis that requires complicated treatment, so it is important to diagnose it as soon as possible. However, quite often patients with heart failure also have other comorbidities. About half of the patients with heart failure also have chronic kidney disease, but diabetes also contributes to the development of chronic kidney disease, so it is very important to diagnose not only heart failure itself, but also co-morbidities, as they affect both the patient’s prognosis and treatment tactics. Thus, for example, the Long-Term Heart Failure Registry of the European Society of Cardiology (2011-2018) showed that the mortality of hospitalized heart failure patients with diabetes is 2 times higher than that of those without diabetes.

The good news is that both diagnosis and treatment of diseases have developed today. In addition, very effective medications are currently available, which can reduce the risks of heart failure, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, as well as possible complications. Do not delay and do not wait for the situation to worsen, go to your family doctor! In order to detect the risks of heart failure and co-morbidities in time, it is important to perform blood tests, electrocardiogram, if necessary, echocardiographic examination and determine the level of natriuretic peptides (BNP or NT-proBNP) in the blood. And, of course, the foundation for strong heart health is a healthy lifestyle at any age!”

Inese Mauriņa, head of the patient association ParSirdi.lv: “Although it can be successfully treated in many cases, heart failure is a frequent cause of hospitalization and death. It can also be found among young people, but its prevalence increases rapidly with age – in the age group over 80 it is 12 to 14% of the population. Early diagnosis of these diseases, as well as coordinated treatment of heart failure and comorbidities, are important for the successful treatment of both heart failure and comorbidities. Therefore, during the Heart (less) Ability Days, we want to both educate the public and find an opportunity to learn more about these diagnoses from specialists, provide an opportunity to check health and strengthen it with healthy activities. On the other hand, we would like to remind the decision-makers that timely and accessible diagnosis and treatment of heart failure not only improves the health and survival of patients, but also reduces the costs associated with preventable hospitalizations and deaths.”

Heart (little) Ability Day activities

on May 9

Online discussion and face-to-face event for patients

Heart failure and the most frequent co-morbidities: how to detect, treat and return the power?

Place and time: In person – from 5:00 p.m. at the Latvian Association of Physicians, Skolas Street 3, Riga (by sending an application to e-mail: [email protected]), the number of places is limited)/ Online – on the ParSirdi.lv society’s Facebook account @Parsirdi.lv

At the event:

• Addresses to patients by representatives of patient associations “ParSirdi.lv”, “Latvijas Diabēta Associations”, “Latvijas Niru slimnieku Associations”.

• Together with a cardiologist, nephrologist and endocrinologist, we will move towards better health and a longer life:

Dr. Ginta Kamzola: “Heart failure – a syndrome caused by not only heart diseases”.

• President of the Latvian Association of Nephrologists, RSU assoc.prof. Ieva Ziediņa: “Kidneys and heart suffer and rejoice together!”.

• Endocrinologist, Dr. med. Kristine Ducena: “Carlson and the sweet heart or the consequences of obesity and high sugar levels.”

Before the face-to-face event (4:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.), in cooperation with RSU Red Cross College of Medicine, students of the “Medicine” study program will have the opportunity to check the risk of cardiovascular diseases, as well as receive specialist recommendations and informative materials about cardiovascular health, healthy lifestyle, etc.

From May 11

Health exercise together with physical activity physiologist, occupational therapist and founder of the Physical Activity Foundation, Dr. med. Rudolph Cesheiko.

Opportunity to participate in free health exercise classes led by specialists once a week.

Place, time: Saturdays at 10:00 – 11:00 at Māras pond in Ågenskalna (from the side of Mārupes street).

Bring: clothing suitable for the weather, comfortable shoes, water. The classes will include both cardio and strength training elements – evidence-based physical activity that everyone can do.

From May 13

Free heart health consultations in cooperation with the online medical consultation clinic “Medon”.

Free online consultations with cardiologists about heart failure, common comorbidities, common risk factors, options for lifestyle changes and other issues. Signing up for a consultation also includes completing a free heart health test with the option to make entries in a digital patient diary. Please note that the number of free consultations is limited, but everyone can use the heart health assessment tool** and the patient diary for free!

To apply for consultations, please fill out the heart health test and application form:

https://medon.lv/sirds-veselibas-tests

Please see more information about heart failure and events on the society’s social network platform Facebook @Parsirdi.lv and on the website: www.sirdsmazspeja.lv

Patient societies that unite patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases

Association of cardiovascular disease patients ParSirdi.lv: www.parsirdi.lv and www.sirdsmazspeja.lv

Latvian Diabetes Association: www.diabetsunveseliba.lv

Latvian Diabetes Federation: www.diabets.lv

Latvian Association of Kidney Patients: www.niere.lv

Facts about heart failure

1 in 5 people may develop heart failure in their lifetime.

Currently, there are at least 64 million heart failure patients in the world.

The most common causes of heart failure – coronary heart disease, especially previous myocardial infarction and insufficiently controlled high blood pressure.

The most common symptoms of heart failure

• increasing swelling in the legs, starting from the ankles up,

• lack of breath,

• fatigue and weakness

• increased heart rate at rest.

References:

*https://www.spkc.gov.lv/lv/sabiedribas-veselibas-datu-analize

**The heart health evaluation tool was developed by Medon SIA and SIA “LONGENESIS” research project No.: 5.1.1.2.i.0/1/22/A/CFLA/004 “Development of a digital tool for timely and personalized identification of patients’ cardiovascular disease risk factors and mitigation” within.

Patient associations ParSirdi.lv