Heart Failure

Working through challenges Advanced heart failure is a complex condition that involves difficult decisions. You may experience emotional struggles and roadblocks. But charting a clear path through the shared decision-making process is possible. Recognize a barrier and work with your healthcare team to break it down. Barriers to shared decision-making – and solutions to overcome them – include: Barrier: Fear, anger, stress or other emotions Solution: Strong emotions can interfere with your ability to process information and make good

Plan for peace of mind An important part of shared decision-making in advanced heart failure is to clarify what you would want done when future events occur – including unexpected ones. Would you want a feeding tube? CPR? Would you want a tube placed down your throat to help you breathe? The process of anticipating future scenarios and communicating your preferences is called advance care planning. It allows you to speak for yourself, even

Even for Advanced HF, there are treatment options When heart failure (HF) progresses to an advanced stage, difficult decisions must be made. Do I want to receive aggressive treatment? Is quality of life more important than living as long as possible? How do I feel about resuscitation? For advanced heart failure patients and their doctors, making good decisions requires teamwork. Through shared decision-making, doctors and patients consider both the options and the

Friends and family can often provide much-needed support. Managing heart failure isn't always easy. Physically, many people with heart failure often can't handle all the tasks they once could. They also have to change their lives – eating differently, remembering medications, paying closer attention to their bodies and reducing stress. These changes can be hard because they often require breaking long-held habits. But the changes are usually easier to make when loved

COVID-19 restrictions are easing. What does that mean for heart failure patients? Although the coronavirus is still a major health threat, restrictions are easing across the nation. That leaves many people— including heart failure patients — wondering if it’s safe to go out in public and get back to a normal routine.  The most important thing to remember is that people with heart disease, including heart failure, are at risk of getting

Talk with your provider about symptoms to report Heart failure requires you and your caregivers to pay close attention to any changes in symptoms. If you notice something new, or a sudden worsening of a current symptom, notify your healthcare professional immediately. Watch for: Rapid weight gain — Ask your doctor about the amount of weight gain you should report to him or her. It’s so important for people with heart failure to weigh

After the heart failure diagnosis Although it can be difficult living with a chronic condition like heart failure, many people learn to manage the symptoms – and enjoy full lives. People who report greater levels of improvement and emotional well-being often build new habits around eating better, tracking and managing their symptoms and exercising (as directed by their healthcare team). At the American Heart Association, we’re developing quality education and expanding resources to

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) Some people who have severe heart failure or serious arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) may need implantable defibrillators, or ICDs. These devices are surgically placed and deliver pacing – or an electric counter-shock – to the heart when a life-threatening abnormal rhythm is detected. ICDs have saved millions of lives, but are only advisable in certain circumstances. The decision to use an ICD is a shared one by the