Self-care of heart failure patients: practical management recommendations from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology

Tiny Jaarsma*, Loreena Hill, Antoni Bayes-Genis, Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, Teresa Castiello, Jelena Celutkiene, Elena Marques-Sule, Carla M. Plymen, Susan E. Piper, Barbara Riegel, Frans H. Rutten, Tuvia Ben Gal, Johann Bauersachs, Andrew J. S. Coats, Ovidiu Chioncel, Yuri Lopatin, Lars H. Lund, Mitja Lainscak, Brenda Moura, Wilfried MullensMassimo F. Piepoli, Giuseppe Rosano, Petar Seferovic, Anna Stromberg

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Self-care is essential in the long-term management of chronic heart failure. Heart failure guidelines stress the importance of patient education on treatment adherence, lifestyle changes, symptom monitoring and adequate response to possible deterioration. Self-care is related to medical and person-centred outcomes in patients with heart failure such as better quality of life as well as lower mortality and readmission rates. Although guidelines give general direction for self-care advice, health care professionals working with patients with heart failure need more specific recommendations. The aim of the management recommendations in this paper is to provide practical advice for health professionals delivering care to patients with heart failure. Recommendations for nutrition, physical activity, medication adherence, psychological status, sleep, leisure and travel, smoking, immunization and preventing infections, symptom monitoring, and symptom management are consistent with information from guidelines, expert consensus documents, recent evidence and expert opinion.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)157-174
Number of pages18
JournalEuropean journal of heart failure
Volume23
Issue number1
Early online date20 Oct 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • Self-care
  • Heart failure
  • Lifestyle
  • Patient education
  • REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION
  • 2013 ACCF/AHA GUIDELINE
  • QUALITY-OF-LIFE
  • AMERICAN-COLLEGE
  • TASK-FORCE
  • CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASES
  • VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION
  • EXERCISE CAPACITY
  • AIR-TRAVEL
  • MEDICATION

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