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Preventing Congestive Heart Failure

To prevent congestive heart failure or to prevent the condition from worsening:

If you smoke, quit.
Avoid alcohol.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Lose weight, if necessary.
Eat a healthful diet. It should be low in saturated fat and salt. It should also be rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Begin a safe exercise program with the advice of your doctor.

RESOURCES:

American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/

American College of Cardiology
http://www.acc.org/

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

About Kids Health
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/

References:

ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines. American College of Cardiology website. Available at: http://www.acc.org/qualityandscience/clinical/guidelines/news/hf.htm . Accessed July 16, 2008.

Congestive heart failure. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585 . Accessed July 16, 2008.

Dambro MR. Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult. 2001 ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;2001.

Heart pumps. Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/HB00076 .Accessed on Accessed July 16, 2008.

Hunt, SA, Abraham, WT, Chin, MH, et al. ACC/AHA 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation . 2005; 112:e154.

Hunt SA, Baker DW, Chin MH, et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic heart failure in the adult. American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) . 2001 Sep;56.

Paterna S, Parrinello G, Cannizzaro S, et al. Medium term effects of different dosage of diuretic, sodium, and fluid administration on neurohormonal and clinical outcome in patients with recently compensated heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2009;103:93-102. Epub 2008 Oct 17.

What is heart failure? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hf/HF_WhatIs.html . Accessed July 16, 2008.

Last reviewed February 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Talk about it in the:
Congestive Heart Failure Support Group

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