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Tips to Live Better With Heart Failure
- Take an active role in your care. Learn about your heart failure and how lifestyle changes and medicines work together to help you feel better, stay out of the hospital and live longer. Ask questions and speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
- Know what signs to watch for – and tell your care team about. These can be an early warning that your heart failure may be getting worse. For example:
- Be sure your primary care provider, cardiologist and other specialists involved in your care work together. One in two people with heart failure live with 5+ additional health conditions. For example, high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight, blockages in the arteries, and heart rhythm problems. Many people with heart failure also have chronic kidney disease, depression or a history of having received certain cancer treatments.
All of the doctors’ offices you visit should have a complete history of medical conditions and treatments you’ve had. Together, these teams can coordinate your care to ensure all of your conditions are well managed and followed. This can go a long way to easing the added workload on your heart and help you feel better. - Understand your heart medications. You’ll need to take several medications over your lifetime, and some people take over 10 medicines a day. These medications work together to help you feel better, be able do more and live longer. Take time to learn how each one works so you know how they might work together to help your heart. Be prepared that the specific medication and dose (amount) will change over time. Many people find a pillbox is helpful to sort and organize their medications.
- Pace yourself and talk about what it’s like to live with heart failure. Many people feel scared. You’re not alone, and the good news is that heart failure can be treated. There are more treatments now than ever before!
- Last Edited 07/29/2025