Patients with heart failure often tend to retain more salt (sodium chloride, NaCl). Higher intake of this salt causes more water retention and possibly an increase in heart failure symptoms. It has long been recommended that heart failure patients limit their daily salt and fluid intake so that the body retains less fluid and puts less strain on the heart. However, an effect of this on hard clinical endpoints (fewer hospital admissions, longer life, etc.) could not yet be scientifically demonstrated. A strict salt restriction is therefore less and less recommended, especially if no water pills (water tablets, diuretics) need to be taken. The higher the dose of diuretic medication required, the higher the tendency to retain salt and fluid and the stricter the salt restriction should be. In patients who receive renal replacement therapy (dialysis) and no longer urinate themselves, salt restriction must always be strictly followed.
Everyone has to get used to a new taste, including dishes with less salt. Our taste buds renew themselves every 7 to 10 days. After 2 or 3 weeks, patients normally become accustomed to a low-salt diet.
Cheese
Cured meats and fish preparations should be avoided:
Try vegetables or fruit on bread:
Peanut butter and speculoos spread contain a lot of salt.
Best to make it fresh using low-salt stock cubes.
To avoid:
To prefer:
In addition to the relative salt restriction, a general healthy diet is always very important. This includes:
The aim should be to maintain a healthy weight while avoiding obesity ( BMI > 30 kg/m²) and underweight ( BMI < 20 kg/m²) .
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Patients with advanced heart failure sometimes have a reduced appetite, partly due to fatigue or a dry mouth.
The following tips can help you:
If the weight continues to drop, your doctor, dietician or pharmacist can give advice about enriching the meal or supplementary feeding.
Potassium is a very important mineral or salt in the blood and cells. It is necessary for the proper functioning of cells and the body. The amount of potassium in the blood must always remain within certain limits. This is regulated by the kidneys. Both too low and too high potassium can be dangerous and lead to cardiac arrhythmias, sudden death and other symptoms.
The use of diuretics (plasma medication) in particular can lead to low potassium. These also ensure that you pee more potassium. Your doctor may then recommend that you consume more potassium-rich foods.
Potassium can become too high due to poor kidney function and/or certain drugs that are commonly prescribed for the treatment of heart failure . Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) also increase potassium and should be avoided (read: medication). Your doctor may then recommend that you follow a low-potassium diet. Sometimes a powder form of medication is prescribed (Lokelma, Veltassa, Kayexalate). These bind the potassium in the intestine so that the potassium in the diet is not absorbed into the body. Read: Peroral potassium binders.
Use of diuretics (water pills) can also lead to low magnesium by also urinating more magnesium. This can also lead to muscle cramps, weakness and having less energy. Your doctor may then recommend that you consume more magnesium-rich foods or magnesium supplements. Most potassium-rich foods also contain more magnesium: vegetables (spinach, etc.), fruit (bananas, raspberries, passion fruit, etc.), whole wheat bread, legumes (chickpeas, soy beans, etc.), nuts and seeds.