Health Topics/Services
Western Health's Heart Failure Clinic Celebrates Success this Heart Month
“Through the Heart Failure Clinic, we provide patients and their caregivers’ information to enable them to take a more active role in managing their heart failure at home,” said Dr Ismail, Cardiologist. “We provide regular examinations and flexible follow-up care. We teach the patients survival skills, how to recognize the symptoms of heart failure, why and when they should take their medication, to restrict their fluid intake to less than 2 liters daily, and reduce hidden sodium to improve their functional lifestyle.” Since the clinic opened, there have been 60 patients seen and currently there are 50 patients being actively followed through the clinic by Dr. Ismail and Paula Perham, RN. Patients recently hospitalized for heart failure and those at high risk for heart failure can be referred by a physician to the clinic.
Research shows that heart failure clinics are known to improve outcomes of patients with heart failure. “Western Health is pleased that the clinic has experienced such success since it began in May 2010,” says Dr. Ken Jenkins, Vice-President of Medical Services. “The clinic provides a comprehensive heart failure disease management program and our statistics are showing that it is having a positive effect on the outcomes of people with heart failure.”
February 13 to 19 is also Heart Failure Awareness Week and there are some preventative strategies people can practice to reduce their risk of heart failure. It is important to avoid processed foods, reduce our sodium intake to 1500 to 2300mg daily, and eat a well-balanced diet including fresh fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are also important.
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Media Contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons
Director of Communications
Western Health
709-637-5252
heidistaebensimmons@westernhealth.nl.ca
Backgrounder: Important Facts about Heart Health
Heart failure is a common condition that usually develops slowly as the heart muscle weakens and needs to work harder to keep up with the demands of the body
Too much sodium can increase the amount of water or fluid held in your body. The extra fluid makes your heart work harder. Fluid builds up, creating congestion and excess fluid puts extra pressure on your blood vessels causing damage.
The average Canadian’s intake of sodium is about 3500 to 5000 mg per day, which is more than double the amount than the recommended limit of 1500 to 2300 mg a day (the equivalent of ¾ to one teaspoon of salt). 77% of the sodium we consume is not in the salt we add to our cooking but is already in the processed foods we eat.
One in five Canadian adults is diagnosed with high blood pressure. Learning how to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet is one of the most important steps towards lowering your blood pressure.
Following a low-sodium diet could reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by 25-30%.
Some tips for reducing salt intake are:
• Buy fresh, frozen or unprocessed foods most often
• Buy plain, bagged frozen vegetables instead of vegetables that are boxed and packaged with added sauces
• Read food labels and choose foods with 200 mg of sodium or less per serving
• Reduce intake of canned or dried soups, canned foods, frozen dinners, instant foods and flavoured rice/pasta packages
• Look for foods labelled sodium free, low in sodium, and no added sodium
• When eating at restaurants, ask for less salt to be added to your food
More information can be found at: