Heart failure doesn’t have to put the brakes on life. Many people live with heart failure. Here’s what you need to know about living with heart failure.

Story by: Sara Thompson; Reviewed by Natalie K. Kendall, APRN on October 19, 2023

If you are diagnosed with heart failure, your prognosis depends on many factors, including age, stage of heart failure, underlying conditions and strength of heart function. There are three types of heart failure, and the prognosis for all is similar. The good new is you can recover from heart failure.

Heart failure does not mean the heart does not beat anymore. It is a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood and oxygen to the organs and tissues of the body. As a result, the organs in the body do not get the blood they need. This leads to symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling. Left untreated, it can be life-threatening.

While no one can predict exactly how heart failure will affect someone’s life or how it may shorten a life, in general, more than half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive for five years. About 35% will survive for 10 years. Average life expectancy for people with heart failure is based on data collected from large groups of people over time.

Other factors that affect life expectancy include:

• Age: The five-year survival rate for people under 65 is around 79%, while the rate is about 50% for those 75 and over.
• Race: For example, African Americans face higher risk for heart disease, which can lead to heart failure.
• Ejection fraction: The measure of how much blood a person’s heart pumps out per beat is known as the ejection fraction (EF).
• Other conditions: If you have other health conditions, such as coronary heart disease, it can affect life expectancy. These conditions include diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Risk factors: These include obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), and a poor diet.

Congestive heart failure is not curable, but early detection and treatment may help improve life expectancy. Following a treatment plan that includes lifestyle changes may help improve quality of life.

It is possible to manage the symptoms of heart failure and make changes that will let you lead a full life. Some changes you can make include lifestyle adjustments, such as:

• Eating a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, and limiting processed foods and sodium
• Monitoring your blood pressure
• Managing weight
• Stopping smoking
• Managing your diabetes

Your health care team may put you on medications to help protect your heart. These medications block the hormones that can damage the heart, and moderate heart rate.

While you can make some lifestyle changes, there are some factors you can’t change, including your age, genetic background and race.

Types of heart failure

There are different types of heart failure, and your prognosis will be different based on the kind of heart failure you have, as well as the stage and other factors.

Left-sided heart failure means the heart is working harder than usual because the left atrium and ventricle are damaged or not working properly. There are two types of left-sided heart failure:

• Systolic heart failure means a weakened or enlarged left ventricle prevents the heart from pushing enough blood out of the ventricle.
• Diastolic heart failure means the ventricle is pumping out as it should, but when it refills with blood, it can’t take enough new blood in.

Right-sided heart failure: Right-sided or right ventricular heart failure usually occurs as a result of left-sided failure, but it is less common than left-sided heart failure.

Congestive heart failure:  When the heart isn’t pumping blood effectively, fluid can back up in the veins and tissues of the body.

Advanced heart failure: Sometimes called end-stage heart failure, this is the most severe variation of the condition.

Patients with left sided ischemic heart failure are eligible for Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s Myocardial Recovery Program. The goal of this program is to strengthen your heart and possibly recover out of heart failure. The program includes:

• Frequent and close monitoring.
• Medication management.
• Working with a healthcare team to address all aspects of your heart failure and give you the best chance at recovery. 

Our Myocardial Recovery Program averages 50% recovery rate for those that participate, which is better than the national average of 10%.

If you have heart failure, there are ways to protect your heart and continue to live a full life.