How heart failure is classified
Doctors use a scoring system called the New York Heart Association Functional Classification to measure how bad your heart failure is. There are four categories of heart failure: class I (one), class II (two), class III (three) and class IV (four).
You have class I heart failure if you can walk up one flight of stairs without feeling short of breath, or walk one block up a gentle slope.
If you feel tired or breathless when walking up one flight of stairs or walking one block up a slight slope, you have class II heart failure.
If walking from the kitchen to the living room makes you feel short of breath or tired, you have class III heart failure.
If you get symptoms when you are resting or doing a simple activity (such as getting out of a chair), then you have class IV heart failure.
This information was last updated in Jul 25, 2008
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This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved. |
