Now accepting Telehealth appointments. Schedule a virtual visit.
Skip to main content
469-262-6663 Request Appointment

Heart Failure Management Specialist

Vikas Jindal, MD Our Services Heart Failure Management

Vikas Jindal, MD

Cardiologist located in Dallas, TX

If you have unexplainable fatigue or can’t walk up a flight of stairs without feeling short of breath, you may be one of the 5.7 million Americans with heart failure. Dr. Vikas Jindal at HeartPlace Baylor Heart & Vascular Hospital encourages you to come in for a thorough evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment help stop heart failure from worsening, so please protect your health — contact his office to schedule a heart checkup. Dr. Jindal's office is conveniently located in the heart of Dallas, in the center between Oak Lawn, Uptown, the Design District, Kessler, Cedars, South Dallas/Fairpark, Old East Dallas, and Knox/Henderson. Call or request an appointment online today!

Heart Failure Management Q & A

What is heart failure?

Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, occurs when your heart can’t pump enough blood to provide the oxygen and nutrients your body needs. You can develop heart failure when:

  • Right side of the heart can’t pump enough blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen
  • Left side of the heart can’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood out to the body

Even though heart failure doesn’t mean your heart will stop working any minute, it’s important to know that it is a chronic, progressive condition that continues to worsen without proper management.

What causes heart failure?

People often develop heart failure after another health condition damages their heart. In some cases, the heart muscles become too stiff or stretch too much to work properly. The causes of heart failure include:

  • Heart attack and coronary artery disease (most common causes)
  • High blood pressure
  • Damaged heart muscles
  • Inflamed heart muscles
  • Faulty heart valves
  • Diabetes
  • Over- and underactive thyroid
  • High levels of iron in the blood

How is heart failure managed?

Treatment for heart failure is tailored to each patient, depending on the type of heart failure, the underlying cause, and your overall health. Dr. Jindal develops a plan that may incorporate any or all of the following:

Medications

Numerous medications can relieve heart failure, including:

  • ACE inhibitors: help to lower your blood pressure
  • Aldosterone antagonists: decrease your blood volume
  • Digoxin: make your heart beat stronger
  • Vasodilators: dilate your blood vessels to decrease blood pressure
  • Beta-blockers: slows your heart rate and lowers blood pressure

Lifestyle changes

Reducing sodium consumption, eating a balanced diet, staying active, losing weight if necessary, avoiding added sugars, and limiting alcohol are all-important steps for managing heart failure.

Medical devices

Heart failure may cause an irregular heartbeat. When this happens, a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can help keep your heart rate steady and decrease heart failure symptoms.

Surgery

Heart surgery may help prevent further damage and improve your heart’s ability to pump blood. Operations for heart failure include coronary artery bypass graft, heart valve surgery, and ventricular restoration. When heart failure progresses to the stage where medications and lifestyle changes can’t help, a heart transplant may be necessary.

What we offer

Services