DP has been admitted with heart failure - he is only 38

[Earthstar]

My poor dp has been admitted to hospital with heart failure - he is the youngest on the ward by about 30 years.

We are hoping for a full recovery and some lifestyle changes but it is quite shocking (sad)

How's dh Earthstar?

thanks so much for asking
he is going to be discharged this evening and is looking and feeling much more himself

I am not sure what happens next and still don't have a picture of why it happened and what the prognosis is!

Sorry to hear about your DP - It's such a scary thing to have happen.
It's not always possible to give a clear answer as to what causes heart failure. The most common causes are coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease which is untreated, a condition called cardiomyopathy(which has a number of different causes) or high blood pressure.
In terms of what happens next, he will be followed up by the cardiology team. He should have a repeat ECHO to see if there is any improvement in the function of his heart since starting his medications.
A lot of areas have a dedicated Heart Failure nurse specialist who will come and see you at home. There is such a huge amount to take in after a diagnosis like this and they provide information and support for your DP and you, as well as monitoring his condition. He may also be offered cardiac rehabilitation, again it depends on where you live. It is really worth going to- one of the important things with heart failure is that you need to exercise the heart muscle to keep it working as effectively as possible, however that can be a terrifying prespect for some. CR introduces exercise in a safe controlled environment, and helps patients to rebuild their conidence in their ability to get out there and live their lives as normally as possible.
In terms of prognosis, it's is best to speak to his consultant, as the have the full picture of what's going on.
Take care of yourself too, it must be so stressful for you.
In case you haven't had time to have a look..
http://www.nhs.uk/Pathways/heartfailure/Pages/Landing.aspx NHS Choices site
BHF site

stanausauruswrecks thanks so much for your kind and informative post.

I think BP is the issue for dp - we have a community cardiac nurse to ring today and another echo as you say plus a CT scan for heart, liver and kidneys for the end of the month.

Unfortunately the cardiac rehab is daytime only and dp should be back at work soon so the timing is wrong.

We are a bit in the dark about what to eat and what not to eat other than the general idea of less fat and salt. Also would like to buy a home BP monitor but not sure how to choose...hopefully the nurse will advise.

I am feeling much more relaxed and happy now that dp is at home but also a bit intimidated to think that if the cause is lifestyle then he/we need to make some big changes but I am not confident exactly how it will pan out. The thing I am confident about is the alcohol - dp was a big wine drinker and needs to stop completely. I think he will find this an easy one to do - I don't drink anyhow - and it will save us lots of money. I am hoping dp might spend it on stuff to improve his health.