Heart failure affects approximately 6.7 million adults in the United States. While it has several causes, it is often the result of a combination of health conditions and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Maintaining heart health is essential to preventing high blood pressure and heart attacks, both of which can lead to heart failure.
Signs of heart failure include, but are not limited to:
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty lying flat
- Swelling of the legs
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Nonproductive cough
- Weight gain
- Poor appetite
Improving quality of life with heart failure
Lifestyle changes can have a meaningful impact on managing heart failure. Limiting sodium and fluid intake can prevent hospitalization and improve symptoms. Exercise is also vital for strengthening the body, increasing mobility and alleviating symptoms.
Goal-directed medical therapy has been scientifically proven to extend life and improve prognosis. One of the most effective ways to manage heart failure is to establish care with a heart failure specialty clinic, where experts can optimize medications and monitor disease progression.
Northside Hospital Heart Institute’s Heart Failure Program
Northside Hospital Heart Institute provides inpatient and outpatient services for heart failure patients. Our specialized clinics treat all types and severity levels of heart failure. We offer device therapies to improve symptoms, as well as medical optimization and cardiac function monitoring. Additionally, we can administer diuretics in the clinic as needed to help avoid hospitalization.
Northside has four outpatient clinic locations: Sandy Springs, Cumming, Holly Springs and Lawrenceville. Our team includes three board-certified advanced heart failure physicians who provide coverage across the clinics and hospital campuses.
For the past four years, I have served as the program coordinator and practice manager for the Heart Failure Program. My role includes developing new programs, refining existing initiatives and ensuring our practices operate at peak efficiency. My entire advanced practice career has been dedicated to heart failure patients, and I take pride in helping advance new therapies to improve cardiac function and quality of life.
Because we care for both inpatients and outpatients, we see the full continuum of care. Patients appreciate seeing familiar faces when they are admitted and value having providers who understand their baseline health. Likewise, it is beneficial for patients to visit a clinic provider who is involved in their hospital care and understands their experience.
One of our primary goals is optimizing medical therapy, which has the potential to improve cardiac function. Seeing a patient with a weakened heart regain strength and improve their daily quality of life is incredibly rewarding. Ultimately, reducing hospitalizations and allowing patients to spend more time with their families is the greatest success of our services.
Learn more about Northside Hospital Heart Institute.
