Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 26, 2025
04:05
Author Spotlight: Unveiling Prognostic Indicators in Heart Failure - The Role of Phase Angle and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Published on: June 30, 2023
2.4K
Age and gender differences in physical heart failure symptom clusters.
Kristen A Sethares1, Elizabeth Chin1
1Department of Adult Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Rd. North Dartmouth 02747, MA, United States.
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|July 26, 2021
Summary
Heart failure (HF) symptom clusters vary by age and gender. Understanding these differences can improve patient education and awareness of personalized symptom patterns.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- Nursing
Background:
- Gender disparities influence heart structure and function, leading to varied heart failure (HF) symptom presentation.
- Prior research has linked HF symptom clusters to patient outcomes like functional status, mortality, quality of life, and rehospitalization rates.
- Limited studies have explored age and gender variations within HF symptom clusters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct physical symptom clusters in patients with heart failure.
- To investigate potential differences in these symptom clusters based on patient age and gender.
Main Methods:
- A secondary analysis was performed on data from adult patients diagnosed with heart failure.
- Hierarchical agglomerative clustering techniques were employed to group similar symptom presentations.
- Results were visualized using a pictorial dendrogram to illustrate cluster relationships.
Main Results:
- Three distinct symptom clusters emerged from the analysis of 133 older HF patients.
- These clusters showed statistically significant differences concerning gender (p=0.04), age (p=0.00), and beta-blocker medication use (p=0.01).
- The identified clusters corresponded to patterns of worsening HF, acute HF, and chronic HF.
Conclusions:
- Heart failure symptom clusters exhibit significant variations related to patient age and gender.
- Healthcare education should emphasize patient-specific symptom cluster awareness to enhance self-management and understanding.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
77
Heart failure can be classified in various ways, with the most common classifications based on physical activity limitations, disease progression, severity, and treatment strategies.The Functional Classification of Heart Failure divides patients into four categories based on physical activity limitation due to symptom burden.Class I: Patients in this class have cardiac disease but no physical activity limitations. Ordinary activities like walking, climbing stairs, or routine tasks do not cause...
77
01:17Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
2.0K
Heart failure (HF) is a progressive syndrome involving ventricles that leads to inadequate cardiac output. It can be classified based on location and output or ejection fraction. Ejection fraction (EF) is an essential measurement in the diagnosis and surveillance of HF. Reduced EF corresponds to systolic heart failure (HFrEF). However, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming increasingly prevalent. Also known as diastolic HF, this form of HF is related to aging. The...
2.0K
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
105
Heart failure (HF) manifests primarily as dyspnea, fatigue, and fluid retention, resulting in peripheral and pulmonary edema. Symptoms may vary depending on which ventricle is more affected, left or right.Left-Sided Heart FailureAlso known as left ventricular failure, this condition results from the left ventricle's inability to fill or eject sufficient blood into the systemic circulation. It leads to pulmonary congestion, which occurs when the left ventricle fails to eject blood effectively...
105
01:27Heart Failure I: Introduction
166
Heart failure refers to a clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional cardiac disorders that prevent the heart from pumping an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's metabolic needs. This condition often arises from myocardial infarction or ischemia, leading to decreased cardiac output, reduced tissue perfusion, impaired gas exchange, fluid volume imbalance, and decreased functional ability.Heart failure can result from disruptions in the mechanisms that regulate cardiac output...
166
01:29Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
113
Systolic Heart Failure and Compensatory MechanismsSystolic heart failure (also termed HFrEF, Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) is the most prevalent type of heart filure. It results in a decreased volume of blood being pumped from the ventricle. The aortic arch and carotid sinuses have baroreceptors that detect reduced blood pressure, triggering the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Initially, this response aims to boost heart rate and...
113
01:30Heart Failure VII: Nursing Interventions
200
The first step in nursing management of a patient with heart failure involves thoroughly assessing the patient's medical history.Subjective Data: Obtain the patient's medical history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and symptoms like dyspnea, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.Objective Data: Conduct a physical examination to identify findings such as jugular vein distention, pulmonary crackles, tachycardia, murmurs, peripheral edema, and vital signs,...
200