Also called congestive heart failure, CHF, NYHA class · Reviewed
Definition:Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood for the body's needs. NHLBI explains that this can happen when the heart cannot fill with enough blood or is too weak to pump well. The name does not mean the heart has stopped, but it is a serious condition that needs medical care.
What "NYHA Class" means
Labels often grade heart failure with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes, Class I to Class IV, where a higher class means more limits on daily activity. The class sets the rule. The Actos label, for example, says Actos is not recommended in people with symptomatic heart failure and must not be started in NYHA Class III or IV heart failure. The Cialis label lists NYHA Class II or greater heart failure in the last 6 months among heart conditions where it is not recommended.
Where else it shows up
Actos (a thiazolidinedione) has a boxed warning that it can cause or worsen heart failure. In the PROactive trial, hospital stays for heart failure were 5.7% on Actos vs 4.1% on placebo.
Testosterone labels such as AndroGel say androgens can make the body hold salt and water, causing edema with or without heart failure.
Some SGLT2 inhibitors, such as Jardiance and Farxiga, are approved to lower the risk of heart failure hospital stays.
Why it matters for your log
The Actos label names fast weight gain, shortness of breath and swelling as the signs to watch after starting or raising a dose. Daily weights and a short note about swelling or breathing, next to dose dates, make a change easy to spot and to show a clinician.
General education drawn from labels and published studies, not personal medical advice. Your prescriber, pharmacist and the label that came with your product are the final word.
No. NHLBI says it means the heart is not pumping enough blood for the body. It is serious and needs care, but the heart is still working.
What does NYHA Class mean on a label?+
It is a grade from the New York Heart Association scale, Class I to Class IV, where a higher class means more limits on daily activity. The Actos label says Actos must not be started in Class III or IV.