How is chronic heart failure classified?
Disease description:
I become breathless and my heart races after walking only a short distance. At the hospital, I was diagnosed with Class III cardiac function and chronic heart failure. How is chronic heart failure staged?
Doctor's answer (2)
Dr. Liu Shilei
Chronic heart failure is classified into four functional classes:
Class I: No limitation of ordinary physical activity; patients do not experience excessive fatigue, palpitations, or dyspnea during routine daily activities.
Class II: Slight limitation of physical activity; ordinary activities provoke palpitations, chest tightness, or dyspnea, but the patient remains asymptomatic at rest.
Class III: Marked limitation of physical activity; even minimal exertion induces palpitations, dyspnea, or angina pectoris, while the patient remains asymptomatic at rest.
Class IV: Inability to carry out any physical activity without discomfort; symptoms of heart failure or angina occur at rest, and any physical exertion worsens these symptoms.
