Living Well with Heart Failure, the Misnamed, Misunderstood Condition

Heart failure - the expression alone is scary. The idea that the blood-pumping organ in our chest can struggle, stutter, or suddenly stop is deeply disconcerting. But for those diagnosed with the disease, the future is not necessarily bleak. With the right treatments, exercise, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle, people with heart failure can improve their condition and live well. Heart failure expert Edward K. Kasper teams with journalist - and survivor - Mary Knudson to give readers an honest account of this misunderstood disease. The authors explain the complex science of heart failure and look critically at the care available. Living Well with Heart Failure will help those with the disease and their loved ones understand: the causes of the disease; normal and abnormal heart rhythms; how to recognize symptoms and when to seek treatment; which diagnostic tests to expect; the best treatments for different types of heart failure; how pacemakers work; the advantages and disadvantages of implantable cardioverter defibrillators; how to be safer in a hospital; what exercises result in increased heart, leg, arm, and core body strength; and, what foods to eat. Informed by the shared knowledge of doctor and patient, those diagnosed with heart failure will learn how to effectively manage the disease in this comprehensive and compassionate guide.