Heart failure is often misunderstood. Many people think heart failure means that their heart will stop beating. If you have heart failure, it means that your heart has lost some of its ability to pump blood.
There are two kinds of heart failure. In the first kind, the heart muscle has weakened and cannot pump enough blood out with each beat. This is called "systolic heart failure." In the second kind, the heart pumps normally but the heart muscle has become stiff. Your heart has lost its ability to relax and does not completely fill with blood. This is called "diastolic heart failure."
Don't be discouraged by the word "failure". For most patients, heart failure cannot be cured, but you can help to keep it from getting worse or even make it better by taking your medicine, eating the right foods, watching your fluids and exercising. If you take care of your heart, you can feel better and enjoy life more.
Additional Information about Heart Failure
Detailed Questions and Answers - Heart Failure (Advanced Heart Disease)
Short Questions and Answers - Heart Failure (Advanced Heart Disease)
Understanding and Treating Heart Failure: A Guide for Patients and Families
The Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD): Patient Perspective
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT): A Patient's Guide
Video: "Heart Medications: What You Need to Know", Carol Flavell, NP
Guidelines for a Heart Failure Diet (En Español)
Procedural Descriptions/Instructions
BWH Instructions for Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiovascular Tests and Procedures
Vodcasts
Cardiac Catheterization
Echocardiogram
Animations
Angioplasty
Stent Placement
Other Resources and Links
Cardiovascular Glossary of Terms
American Heart Association
Heart Failure Society
United Network for Organ Sharing
New England Organ Bank
Patient Support Groups
ICD Support Group
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Support Group For information contact: Leslie Griffin, APRN-BC, at 617-525-7063 or Colleen Smith, APRN-BC, at 617-732-7384.
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