Heart Failure Awareness Week – Wednesday
Today is Valentine’s Day and we just had a great time participating in a Twitter Chat (#HFChat2018) hosted by the HFSA and alongside the AAHFN and Mended Hearts.
For those of you who weren’t able to watch the Chat live, below is the complete transcript. Do you have any additional questions that you need answered? Please leave your questions in the comments below and we’ll be sure to get back to you.
Thank you, HFSA, for the opportunity to spread knowledge about heart failure!
Twitter Chat transcript for #HFChat2018
HFSA
Welcome to #HFChat2018! Follow the hashtag to join the conversation. We kindly ask our participants to introduce themselves.
Mended Hearts
@MendedHearts is happy to be here! Andrea @supermomwoacape will be chatting with you today! #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Hi! We are Happy to join the @HFSA today in the HF2018 Twitter Chat! #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
AAHFN is proud to participate!
Q1 What is #heartfailure and how big of an issue is it in the US and beyond? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q1/A1: #Heartfailure is a progressive condition in which the heart’s muscle gets injured from something like a heart attack or high blood pressure and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body’s needs. #HFChat2018
Q1/A2: Current estimates are that nearly 6.5 million Americans over the age of 20 have #heartfailure. One major study estimates there are 960,000 new heart failure cases annually. #HFChat2018
Q1/A3: #Heartfailure directly accounts for about 8.5% of all heart disease deaths in the United States. And, by some estimates heart failure actually contributes to about 36% of all cardiovascular disease deaths. #HFChat2018
Mended Hearts
Q1/A1: When your heart can’t pump blood out as well as it should, it is systolic heart failure #HFChat2018
Q1/A2: When your heart become stiff and does not easily fill up with blood, it is called diastolic heart failure #HFChat2018
Q1/A3: A major health issue among Americans, chronic heart failure touches many lives. NIH reports that 5.8 million Americans have heart failure #HFChat2018
Q1/A4: HF was a contributing cause in one of nine deaths in 2009. Nearly 1 million Americans are hospitalized each year with chronic heart failure #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q1/A1: It is the inability for your heart to pump enough oxygen rich blood through your other organs. Often misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. #HFChat2018
Q1/A2: It was historically considered an old person disease, but we are encountering over 25% of our patients are under 40yrs old. #HFChat2018
Q2 What do patients and care providers need to know regarding #heartfailure? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q2/A1: Often times #heartfailure is misdiagnosed so it is important to understand patients that may be at risk due to lifestyle or family history and encourage preventative actions. #HFChat2018
Q2/A2: One issue that needs to be discussed in #heartfailure is palliative care. This is health care that does not seek to cure a disease, but to soothe, prevent, reduce, or relieve symptoms. #HFChat2018
Mended Hearts
Q2/A1: HF can be treated and managed very effectively in many cases. Often, a combination of therapies is used to treat the condition and its symptoms #HFChat2018
Q2/A2: HF doesn’t mean your heart has stopped working. Rather, it refers to a condition in which your heart isn’t pumping all the blood your body needs #HFChat2018
Q2/A3: You are not alone. There is support available for you from mendedhearts.org#HFChat2018.
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q2/A1: HF is a degenerative condition with an average age expectancy of 5 yrs from the date of diagnosis. It is often debilitating, BUT with proper care you can live a fairly normal life. #HFChat2018
Q2/A2: Today there is only one medical cure for heart failure and that is heart transplantation. #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
Q2/A1: Symptoms are often unrecognized and insidious in nature #HFChat2018
Q3 What can be done to improve outcomes of patients diagnosed with #heartfailure? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q3/A1: Making positive lifestyle changes is almost always necessary for people with #heartfailure. This often includes changing your diet, getting more physical activity into your day, and quitting if you smoke. #HFChat2018
Q3/A2: Improve health outcomes by identifying patients’ modifiable health risks and providing follow-up behavior change interventions. #HFChat2018
Q3/A3: Some #heartfailure does not have good treatment options. If you have this condition, you may want to consider enrolling in or learning more about clinical trials to help find effective treatments. #HFChat2018
Q3/A4: You need accurate information about #heartfailure, especially your specific condition, to make good decisions about your care. Talking honestly with your doctor or nurse is the best way to get that information. #HFChat2018
Q3/A5: Providers should have open and honest discussions with patients and caregivers throughout their #heartfailure journey to ensure the patients are educated on their disease at each phase, and equipped to manage their HF effectively. #HFChat2018
Mended Hearts
Q3/A1: Early diagnosis and adherence to treatment plan is key to success #HFChat2018
Q3/A2: One of the most important tools in treating HF is medication. There are several categories of medication that people with HF are often prescribed #HFChat2018
Q3/A3: Making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle can help improve the symptoms of chronic heart failure #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q3/A1: A low salt diet is key! Also exercise as much as you can tolerate, take medications exactly as your doctor says, and listen to your nurses’ and doctors’ instructions #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
Q3/A1: Follow the ACC/AHA guidelines for all appropriate patients! #HFChat2018
Q4: What is being done to make sure physicians, nurses, and pharmacists across the healthcare continuum know the best practices when treating/managing a #heartfailure patient? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q4/A1: Provide guidance to providers offering clinical preventive care, health promotion, and disease management services on ways to use #heartfailure health risk assessment tools followed by evidence-based health improvement programs. #HFChat2018
Q4/A2: Understanding risk factors for HF (obesity, DM, CAD, hypertension, smoking and substance abuse) and prevalence. Focus on both prevention of risk factors, and also early detection of #heartfailure if they have risk factors #HFChat2018
Q4/A3: There are screening blood test (BNP or NT pro BNP) and other noninvasive tests (echo) that can be done by your PCP should you do demonstrate symptoms. Don’t be afraid to ask. #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q4/A1: HFSA annual meetings are good – – along with CME events – – as a great way to get the most up to date info on best practices and webinars. #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
Q4/A1: Recent updates to the 2013 guidelines outlining best practices for heart failure patients #HFChat2018
Q4/A2: ACC, HFSA, AAHFN and other organizations offer many educational opportunities for clinicians and patients
Q5: How can providers advocate and improve #heartfailure patient care and outcomes? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q5/A1: #Heartfailure organizations should educate members on health policy and health economics to help them become more effective advocates. #HFChat2018
Q5/A2: Assist #heartfailure patients with better understanding how to work with the payer community in order to gain access to the appropriate medications and HF management services. #HFChat2018
Q5/A3: It is imperative we educate the public in our local communities about these staggering facts and get the word out about #heartfailure and prevention factors. #HFChat2018
Mended Hearts
Q5/A1: Assure patients are connected with peer support like Mended Hearts, provide education tools #HFChat2018
Q5/A2: Provide practical guidance and lifestyle skills to patients #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q5/A1: Utilize patient advocacy groups like Mended Hearts and the HeartBrothers. Other than that, peer-to-peer support groups if they are available to you. #HFChat2018
Q5/A2: Go talk to patients yourself when admitted. Do not let patients or loved ones give up hope. Our founders lived good lives before transplants. #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
Q5/A1: Careful assessment of symptoms and associated risks is warranted to applied appropriate therapies to individual patients #HFChat2018
Q6: How can individuals make a difference within their community to reduce #heartfailure? #HFChat2018
HFSA
Q6/A1: Take action in your local area by hosting a Public forum or event on #heartfailure throughout the year. #HFChat2018
Q6/A2: Talk with your healthcare provider/patient about support options available. There may be #heartfailure support groups meeting in local areas. These can be good sources of encouragement and information for people with heart failure. #HFChat2018
Q6/A3: Share with family, friends, and neighbors in your community the importance of living a heart smart life. #HFChat2018
Mended Hearts
Q6/A1: Be a voice for others and get involved. Share your story #HFChat2018
The HeartBrothers Foundation
Q6/A1: Tell your stories at church, Kiwanis, etc. or local papers, radio, and TV. Get the word out about heart failure and all its issues and complications. #HFChat2018
Q6/A2: Join a group of peer-to-peer assistance so you can be one voice of many heart failure patients acting in your own community. #HFChat2018
Heart Failure Nurses
Q6/A1: Prevention is key – control bp, stay active, and maintain routine follow up with your healthcare team #HFChat2018