When the heart muscle cannot pump as efficiently as it once did, it is described as heart failure. It does not mean that the heart stops working, it simply isn’t working the way it once did. While there is no single treatment, there are ways to manage the condition and help the heart muscle pump as well as it possibly can.
Heart Failure Outcomes Better than National Rates
Heart failure is a serious condition that is followed closely when patients are admitted to Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Our outcomes rank better than most hospitals nationwide in adjusted mortality for heart failure patients within 30 days of a hospital admission. People with a condition, called congestive heart failure often require frequent hospitalization to deal with flare-ups of their symptoms. With proper self-care, many patients can avoid hospital stays. Akron General's Heart & Vascular Center offers Heart Failure Clinic to address these special needs and to help patients enjoy a better quality of life.
Heart Failure Clinic
The Heart Failure Clinic is a complete program focusing on prevention and early involvement in the treatment of heart failure. Components of our program include education about medication, diet and fluid intake, exercise, weight monitoring, sign and symptom management and risk factor modification. The Clinic does not replace a doctor's care but rather works with the doctor to continually educate, monitor and treat the patient, based on diagnosis and the patient's plan of care. Through telemedicine, our nurses are able to monitor heart failure symptoms while the patient is at home, heading off potential problems and unnecessary hospital stays.
A structured cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program may also be effective in alleviating the symptoms of heart failure. Akron General's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program provides supervised exercise as well as support in making lifestyle modifications.
For more information about Akron General's Heart Failure Program and how we can help patients with heart failure experience a better quality of life, call 330.344.4CHF (4243).
