By Merck, in partnership with Mended Hearts®
Living with heart failure can be overwhelming for a patient and their family. People living with heart failure may need to make changes to their daily habits and their heart failure condition may impact their ability to do simple tasks. For some people, the disease can worsen over time.
Know Your Risk
Each year, about one million people in the U.S. are hospitalized due to heart failure. Most people who develop heart failure have a pre-existing or co-existing heart condition, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure or a previous heart attack. Having a family history of heart failure may also put you at a higher risk. People who have previously been hospitalized due to heart failure have a higher chance of going back to the hospital.
Finding Support and Resources
To help people navigate this condition, we’ve collaborated with Merck to create At the Heart of the Matter – Moving forward after your heart failure hospitalization. This educational program helps people living with heart failure and their loved ones better understand their condition. The program also includes real patient stories and resources on topics such as how to recognize the HF warning signs and understanding the importance of monitoring your heart failure.
Together, we hope this program and these stories encourage people impacted by heart failure. By working with their doctor, patients can take a more active role in their care and management of their heart failure symptoms. Patients and doctors should be prepared to have an open dialogue around the challenges associated with lifestyle changes and discuss symptoms that could be associated with a worsening heart failure condition.
Visit AtTheHeartOfTheMatter.com to learn more.