Colin Hirst, MD, is an interventional cardiology fellow at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Between 2019 and 2020, Colin Hirst, MD, will serve the Tufts division of cardiology in areas of advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
Heart failure is a condition brought on by coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects, or conditions such as high blood pressure, among other potential causes. An individual who has experienced one or more heart attacks in the past is at an elevated risk for heart failure.
In some cases, heart failure itself is not an emergency medical situation, but rather a chronic condition defined by insufficient pumping action. That said, congestive heart failure (CHF), which occurs as fluid builds up throughout the cardiovascular system, demands immediate medical attention. If left untreated, fluid can backup in the lungs and liver, as well as other parts of the body, with potentially life-threatening consequences.
Advanced heart failure, meanwhile, is a term used to describe a patient whose heart failure is no longer responding to common management techniques and treatments. About 10 percent of the more than six million Americans living with heart failure are impacted by the advanced form of the condition. Treatment options for advanced heart failure become more complex and require the support of an experienced cardiology team.
Heart failure is a condition brought on by coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects, or conditions such as high blood pressure, among other potential causes. An individual who has experienced one or more heart attacks in the past is at an elevated risk for heart failure.
In some cases, heart failure itself is not an emergency medical situation, but rather a chronic condition defined by insufficient pumping action. That said, congestive heart failure (CHF), which occurs as fluid builds up throughout the cardiovascular system, demands immediate medical attention. If left untreated, fluid can backup in the lungs and liver, as well as other parts of the body, with potentially life-threatening consequences.
Advanced heart failure, meanwhile, is a term used to describe a patient whose heart failure is no longer responding to common management techniques and treatments. About 10 percent of the more than six million Americans living with heart failure are impacted by the advanced form of the condition. Treatment options for advanced heart failure become more complex and require the support of an experienced cardiology team.
