The confusing symptoms of heart failure you might be ignoring — including ‘bendopnea’

Cupid’s got nothing to do with this kind of heartache. 

A silent epidemic is sweeping the nation, with the number of Americans living with heart failure expected to soar from 6.7 million in 2024 to a staggering 11.4 million by 2050.

Alarmingly, research shows that up to a third of those affected don’t know they have the chronic condition, as symptoms are often subtle or easily dismissed as aging or another illness.

That dangerous oversight leaves millions vulnerable to life-threatening complications, many of which could be prevented with the right treatment.

“Once the patient is hospitalized for heart failure, the risk of death and rehospitalization goes up dramatically,” Dr. John Jefferies, a board-certified cardiologist and chief medical officer for Daxor, told The Post. 

He broke down the warning signs most people ignore — so you don’t become one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans whose lives are claimed by the condition each year.

“Symptoms that should be concerning include shortness of breath with exertion or when lying flat, sudden onset of breathlessness at night, persistent and unexplained fatigue, swelling of the lower extremities or abdomen, and rapid weight gain,” Jefferies said.

“Interestingly, there is a symptom that we sometimes reference as ‘bendopnea,’ which is when a patient becomes short of breath while bending over,” he added.

Jefferies noted that many other symptoms can indicate heart failure but may not be part of its classic symptomology, such as nausea, loss of appetite and feeling full quickly.

“As you can imagine, many of these symptoms are commonplace in the general population and could be caused by other things,” he explained.

“This may contribute to some of the confusion around which symptoms could be related to heart failure and which are not.”

The range of symptoms can also vary by age and gender, adding another layer of complexity.

However, Jefferies pointed out one early-warning sign that everyone should check for: a family history.

“With the backdrop of a positive family history, the importance of the symptoms above may even be more impactful and concerning,” he emphasized.

In fact, Harvard Health reports that having one parent with heart failure increases your risk by as much as 70% compared to someone without a family history.

Other factors that increase the chances of developing heart failure include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome and exposure to cardiotoxic agents, like certain chemotherapy treatments, Jefferies added.

By understanding these risk factors, you can get ahead of the condition. After all, by the time symptoms appear, damage has probably already been done.

“Symptom onset is associated with increased morbidity and mortality,” Jefferies said.

In some cases, he said partial reversal of the damage might be possible, but completely undoing it is rare and challenging. 

“Much of what we are trying to accomplish is preservation of existing heart muscle function by stabilizing the condition through medical therapy and other interventions along with lifestyle modifications,” Jefferies explained. 

“Importantly, we want to avoid hospitalization for heart failure symptoms,” he added. 

Once the patient is hospitalized, Jefferies noted, the one-year mortality rate for heart failure ranges from 20% to 30%, and by the second year, it approaches 50%. 

“These are staggering and sobering numbers when you put it in the context of patient life,” Jefferies said.