Less than 10% of heart failure patients comply with advice on salt and fluid restrictions, daily weighing, and physical activity, reports a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Less than 10% of heart failure patients comply with advice on salt and fluid restrictions, daily weighing, and physical activity, reports a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
“Loneliness is the most important predictor of whether patients adopt the advice or not,” said senior author Professor Beata Jankowska-Polańska, of Wroclaw Medical University, Poland. “Patients who are alone do worse in all areas. Family members have a central role in helping patients comply, particularly older patients, by providing emotional support, practical assistance, and advice.”
Failure to adhere to lifestyle recommendations or regularly take medications contributes to worsening heart failure symptoms and a raised risk of hospitalisation. Breathlessness, swollen ankles and legs, and tiredness occur because the heart can no longer pump effectively. Fluid backs up in the lungs and is retained in parts of the body, and the muscles receive insufficient blood and oxygen.
Daily weighing flags up worsening fluid retention, while salt and fluid restrictions help keep fluid retention under control. Physical activity improves energy levels and quality of life. This study examined adherence to these four recommendations in 475 patients with chronic heart failure using the Revised Heart Failure Compliance Scale.
Read more at European Society of Cardiology
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