Avandia Heart Failure Lawsuit Settlements

Avandia Heart Failure Lawsuit

What is CHF (congestive heart failure)?

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure or CHF, is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body’s organs and tissues. The diagnosis of CHF is different from a diagnosis of myocardial infarction (heart attack), where blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), where the heart stops beating and there is no circulation at all. Congestive heart failure is a cardiovascular disease that causes disability and potentially even death.

Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms

Heart failure can be a long-lasting condition chronic disease or an acute condition that occurs suddenly. The symptoms of congestive heart failure may vary depending on the specific organs involved and the extent to which the rest of the body has compensated for heart muscle weakness. The symptoms of acute heart failure are similar to the symptoms of chronic heart failure, but are more sever and The most common signs and symptoms of CHF include:

• Fatigue, weakness, faintness
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) with activity or after lying down caused by fluid in the lungs
• Swelling (edema) of the legs, ankles, feet and/or abdomen
• Nausea, loss of appetite, indigestion, and stomach pain due to fluid in the liver or intestines
• Difficulty sleeping (often, unless sitting upright)
• Rapid or irregular pulse
• Sensation of feeling the beating of the heart (palpitations)
• Weight gain from fluid retention
• Cough and wheezing (sometimes with white or pink, foamy blood-tinged mucus/phlegm)

Some people with congestive heart failure have no symptoms and many of the symptoms of CHF are similar to those of other lung and cardiovascular health problems.

Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure

After a diagnosis of CHF, treatment should be started immediately. While signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure may improve, it is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. The treatment of heart failure may include a combination of diet and lifestyle changes, medications and medical devices.

Diet and lifestyle changes to mange heart failure include the following:

• Restrict salt intake (sodium causes increased fluid retention/accumulation and congestion)
• Carefully monitoring fluid intake
• Monitor weight (sudden gains may reflect fluid accumulation)
• Regular exercise or saying active as tolerated has been shown to be beneficial
• Lose weight (if overweight) and maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking (if a smoker)
• Get adequate rest and sleep while head is propped up at a 45-degree angle

Medications often prescribed to treat CHF include the following:

• ACE inhibitors such as captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), and ramipril (Altace) help open/widen blood vessels and lower blood pressure, reducing the workload of the heart
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB’s) such as losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan)
• Diuretics (also called “water pils”) including hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), chlorthalidone (Clorpres, Tenoretic, Thalitone), chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix), torsemide (Demadex), bumetanide (Bumex), and spironolactone (Aldactone, Novo-Spiroton, Aldactazide, Spiractin, Spirotone, Verospiron or Berlactone) are prescribed to treat fluid retention (edema) and help rid the body of fluid and salt (sodium) accumulation
• Digoxin (Lanoxin) and Digitalis glycosides increase the strength of heart muscle contractions and help treat some heart rhythm irreguatirties
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) such as losartan and candesartan to reduce the workload of the heart; this class of drug is especially important for those who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors
• Beta-blockers such as carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor) and bisoprolol (Zebeta) are particularly effective for patients with a history of coronary artery disease

Usually, a combination of two or more of the above medications are prescribed to treat congestive heart failure. Additional heart medicines that amy be prescribed inched nitrates for chest pain, a statin to lower cholesterol and/or blood thinners (anticoagulants) to prevent blood clots.

Surgery and medical devices used to treat heart failure include the following:

• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery may be used when blocked arteries contribute to heart failure
• Heart valve repair or replacement surgery may be performed when heart failure is caused by a faulty heart valve
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) devices are implanted to monitor heart rhythms and “shock” the heart back into a normal rhythm if it starts beating at a dangerous rhythm or stops beating
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT pacemaker) uses timed electrical impulses to help the heart muscles pump more efficiently and effectively
• Heart pumps (left ventricular assist devices, or LVADs) are devices implanted to help a weakened heart pump that were first used to keep heart transplant candidates alive while waiting for a suitable healthy heart to become available
• Heart transplant surgery may be used for people with severe heart failure to replace their severely diseased heart with a suitable, healthy donor heart

Congestive heart failure prognosis?

Nearly 5 million people in the United States are affected by heart failure. Almost 500,000 new heart failure cases are diagnosed each year. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S.. More than 50% of the people diagnosed with CHF are re-admitted to the hospital after treatment for heart failure.

CHF is a chronic illness and may worsen with time, infection or other physical stress. Heart failure complications such as irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia or dysrhythmia), accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), and total heart failure (circulatory collapse). People who have suffered a heart attack are at greater risk of having another heart attack. To reduce the risk of a having a second heart attack, doctors may prescribe medications and recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

Avandia Heart Failure Lawsuit Settlements Attorney

If you or a loved one has suffered Avandia heart failure, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation and should contact an Avandia lawsuit attorney right away to discuss your legal rights and options.

Knowledge is power. Our experienced Avandia attorneys represent type 2 diabetics affected by Avandia CHF and surviving family members of diabetics who suffered congestive heart failure death in Avandia lawsuit claims. Our lawyers currently are accepting Avandia heart failure cases in all 50 states.

No fee unless we collect. We handle Avandia lawsuit cases on a contingency fee. There never are any legal fees or litigation expenses unless and until you receive financial compensation for your Avandia heart failure or a loved one’s wrongful death.

Let us help you recover the compensation you deserve.You may have a right to file a lawsuit claim to collect money damages for personal injury or wrongful death damages caused by Avandia. Drug company GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Avandia, has agreed to pay Avandia heart failure lawsuit settlements. We represent each client individually in filing an Avandia congestive heart failure lawsuit, not as part of an Avandia class action lawsuit.

Get a free consultation. There is never any cost or obligation to talk to an Avandia attorney who can help answer all of your questions.

• Bookmark :
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Stumbleupon
• Redit it