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Heart Failure

2,913 views · Published 24 May 2016 · 1:36 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2016 · Science & Technology

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Five million Americans live with heart failure every day. It can happen at any age, but health experts at Lee Memorial Health System say they are seeing an increase of younger patients develop heart failure. Nearly 1.4 million patients diagnosed are under the age of 60. 

According to Katherine Lalor, a heart failure clinical coordinator with Lee Memorial Health System, a lot of younger adults are having heart failure because there is more high blood pressure in the younger population.

 “Heart failure is when your heart fails to keep up with the demands of your body” said Lalor. “Some people have the symptoms very rapidly where they develop in a week.”

Symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, sudden weight gain, increased heart rate, and swelling around the feet or stomach.  

“The number one thing people need to remember is if they can’t breathe when they lie down flat at night then it could be their heart” said Lalor. 

Heart failure is caused by high blood pressure and family history. Lalor says a variety of treatment is available depending on the cause. “We treat the underlining cause of heart failure.”

She says treatment and life style changes can help those with heart failure live a full life managing their symptoms. 

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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