五分之一的个体或将会患心力衰竭

  近日，来自欧洲心脏病协会的研究者表示，发达国家中五分之一的人或许都会患上心力衰竭，这种疾病目前没有确切的治愈手段，仅可以被广泛地预防；研究者呼吁公众们应当清楚知晓心力衰竭的症状表现以便及时作出应对。
  Andrew L Clark教授说道，对于未经治疗的心力衰竭患者而言，其每次呼吸都表现地非常困难，而患者的预后甚至比恶性癌症还要严重，但目前疗法至少可以加倍患者的预期寿命，而且如果患者知道自身的病情可以继续采取相应的手段进行预防。
  心力衰竭是一种在全球范围内影响2600万个体的危及生命的疾病，其对人们的生活质量有着明显的影响，患者通常会表现出恐惧、焦虑以及犹豫，那么呼吸困难、身心疲倦的患者经常会觉得难以进行工作及社交活动，45%的入院患者会因为心力衰竭在1年内死亡，大部分个体会在5年内死亡。
  大部分的心力衰竭都是可以预防的，而且其风险也会随着个人健康的生活方式而降低；当该疾病发生后，一旦患者被告知疾病的症状同时积极需求药物干预治疗，那么就会尽可能地预防早产儿的死亡现象发生。心力衰竭的主要症状表现为：腿部肿胀程度增加，而且会从脚踝开始向上慢慢发展；患者会越来越喘不过气来，尤其是在晚上平躺状态下或者觉醒状态下。
  目前公众对心力衰竭症状的知晓率非常低，在患者症状发作后当医院治疗耽搁4-6小时就会增加患者死亡的风险，但通常患者在很长一段时间内不会接触医生，甚至是在出现明显的疾病症状时。病人经常会说他们不需要立即进行治疗，因为他们并不认为这些症状是因为心脏出现问题而引发的，或者症状并不严重，很多患者错误地认为心力衰竭并不严重或者其是个体老龄化伴随的一种疾病。
  最后研究者指出，健康的生活方式可以降低心力衰竭的风险，进行体力活动、健康饮食，同时不吸烟对于预防心力衰竭具有正向的促进作用，同时也会降低个体肥胖、糖尿病以及高血压的风险，而这些疾病也是引发心力衰竭的风险因子。（转化医学网360zhyx.com）
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转化医学网推荐的原文摘要：

The Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is calling for greater public awareness of heart failure symptoms as countries across Europe hold events for Heart Failure Awareness Day on 8, 9 and 10 May.

Professor Andrew L Clark, chair of the British Society for Heart Failure (BSH), said: "For patients with untreated heart failure it feels as if every breath in and out is through a narrow straw. Their prognosis is worse than for most forms of cancer. But treatment at least doubles life expectancy and many cases could be prevented if patients knew what do to."

Heart failure is a life threatening disease that affects 26 million people worldwide and has a striking impact on quality of life. Patients are often scared, anxious and depressed. Those with breathlessness and extreme fatigue find work, travel and socialising difficult. Up to 45% of patients admitted to hospital with heart failure die within 1 year of admission and the majority die within 5 years.

Most types of heart failure are preventable and risk diminishes with a healthy lifestyle. After the disease has developed, premature deaths could be prevented if people were taught to recognise the symptoms and seek immediate medical attention.

The principal warning signs of heart failure are:

• Increasing swelling of the legs, starting with ankles and working upward

• Getting more breathless, particularly lying flat or waking you at night.

Public awareness of heart failure symptoms is dangerously low. The risk of death increases when hospital treatment is delayed by just 4 to 6 hours after symptoms occur, but many patients do not contact a doctor for hours or even days despite obvious warning signs. Patients say they did not seek treatment immediately because they "did not think symptoms were heart related" or the symptoms were "not that severe at first." Most patients wrongly think heart failure is not serious or is a normal part of ageing......