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Heart Failure Clinic
Heart failure can cause breathlessness, tiredness and fluid build-up. At Heartscope, a cardiologist can investigate these symptoms or help manage an existing diagnosis, including care after a hospital stay.
Heart failure means the heart isn't filling or pumping as well as it should. The muscle may be weak or stiff, which can reduce blood flow or raise pressure inside the heart. Fluid can collect in the lungs, legs or abdomen, causing breathlessness or swelling.
Chronic heart failure is a long-term condition that usually needs treatment and regular check-ups. An acute episode is when symptoms begin or worsen suddenly and may need hospital care. It can happen in someone with chronic heart failure too.
Call triple zero (000) for severe, worsening or persistent chest pain, or chest discomfort with breathlessness, sweating, nausea or pain spreading to your arm, jaw or back.
Do not wait for a routine appointment or drive yourself to hospital.
The left ventricle is the heart's main pumping chamber. It fills between beats, then squeezes to send blood around the body. Ejection fraction (EF) is the percentage of blood in that chamber pumped out with each beat. EF helps describe the type of heart failure. Symptoms, an examination and other test results are also needed for a diagnosis.
EF of 40% or less. This is called HFrEF. The main chamber isn't squeezing as well as it should. A heart attack or another condition may have damaged the muscle, and the cause helps guide treatment.
EF of 41% to 49%. This is called HFmrEF. It sits between the reduced and preserved ranges. “Mildly reduced” describes the measurement; it doesn't necessarily mean the symptoms are mild.
EF of 50% or more. This is called HFpEF. The heart may be too stiff to relax and fill normally, which can raise pressure inside the chamber even when it pumps out at least half its blood with each beat. Symptoms and other tests are needed to confirm heart failure.
Heart failure can develop after a heart attack or because of coronary heart disease, which affects the arteries supplying the heart. Other causes include long-term high blood pressure, heart valve problems, abnormal heart rhythms and diseases of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). Diabetes is also linked with heart failure and may need treatment alongside it.
You might notice changes during everyday activities or at night:
These symptoms don't always mean heart failure. Your doctor will ask when they happen, examine you and look at test results to work out the cause.
Heart failure medicines do different jobs. For example, ACE inhibitors widen blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump. Beta blockers slow the heartbeat and can help the heart work more efficiently over time. In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, several medicine groups have been shown to help people stay out of hospital and live longer. Treatment for preserved ejection fraction is chosen differently, so the type of heart failure affects which medicines are used.
Diuretics help the kidneys remove extra salt and water through urine. Reducing fluid in the lungs can ease breathlessness; reducing it in the legs can ease swelling. Blood tests check kidney function and potassium levels, which can change with treatment. Tell the prescribing doctor about dizziness or other side effects so the dose can be reviewed. Don't stop medicines yourself.
Advice about salt and drinks depends on whether fluid is building up and on other conditions, particularly kidney problems. Not everyone needs a fluid limit. If a limit is prescribed, the care plan should explain how to follow it alongside your medicines.
Once symptoms are stable, activity can be built around what you can manage. Cardiac rehabilitation provides exercise guidance and support for living with heart disease. Your GP or cardiologist can refer you to a program outside Heartscope. Changes in breathing, swelling, weight, sleep or energy help the treating doctor judge how well the plan is working.
Some people also need a heart device or surgery. For example, cardiac resynchronisation therapy helps the lower chambers pump together in selected people with an electrical delay. These treatments require a hospital referral.
Diagnosis brings together your symptoms, an examination and tests of the heart. Breathlessness can have several causes, so a heart scan helps establish whether the heart's pumping, filling or valves are part of the problem. Earlier reports help show whether anything has changed.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan showing how the heart pumps and fills, and how the valves work. An ECG (electrocardiogram) records electrical activity in the heart to help identify abnormal rhythms.
Blood tests check kidney function and levels of minerals such as sodium and potassium. Tests called BNP and NT-proBNP can help doctors work out whether heart failure is likely, but a result on its own can't confirm the diagnosis. A chest X-ray may help explain breathlessness. These tests take place at a separate pathology or imaging service.
If the first tests don't explain the cause, the cardiologist may refer you for a cardiac MRI. This scan gives detailed pictures of the heart muscle and takes place in hospital.
Your GP or specialist can refer you to find out whether you have heart failure or to discuss an existing diagnosis. The cardiologist will check your symptoms, results and treatment, including any changes since a hospital stay.
Consultations are privately billed. If you're eligible, Medicare pays part of the consultation fee when you have a valid referral from your GP or specialist. The clinic will confirm the amount left to pay before the visit.
The cardiologist will send your GP a report with the results and advice about your care. The clinic will confirm the appointment time, location and any preparation instructions.
Heartscope cardiologists see patients at clinics in Melbourne and Queensland. If you have a referral, our team can confirm the location and appointment details.
View clinic locationsYes, with a valid referral from your GP or specialist, either to check whether you have heart failure or to talk about your treatment. Hospital care and procedures take place elsewhere.
Congestion means fluid has built up because of heart failure, which may make breathing difficult or cause swelling. This can happen with any of the three types of heart failure.
A written heart failure action plan can explain when weight or symptom changes need medical advice. Contact your GP or treating doctor promptly if swelling or breathlessness gets worse, or your weight changes unexpectedly. Call triple zero (000) for severe difficulty breathing. Don't wait for a routine appointment.
For some people, the heart pumps more effectively over time. Heart function can change again, so continue treatment as prescribed and keep your follow-up appointments, even with a higher EF. Discuss any medicine changes with your cardiologist.
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