5 Things You Didn't Know About Heart Failure
1. Heart failure is a distinct – and often misunderstood – condition.
Heart failure is not the same as a heart attack, and it doesn't mean the heart has stopped working. With heart failure, the heart can't pump properly so vital organs don't receive needed blood and oxygen.1 It is sometimes described as having a weak heart.1 Certain conditions and risk factors can lead to heart failure, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and/or obesity.2 It is possible for some to develop heart failure after having a heart attack, but it does not occur in all. It's important to understand the risks and ways to manage this chronic condition.
2. Heart failure is likely to affect you or someone you know.
One in 5 people will develop heart failure, and more than 6 million people in the U.S. currently suffer from the condition.3 About half of them have a certain type of long-lasting heart failure, known as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or systolic heart failure.4
Rates of heart failure in America are increasing, despite medical advances.5 It is expected that by 2030 more than 8 million people will have the condition5.
3. The symptoms of heart failure can be challenging to recognize.
The most common heart failure symptoms – shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, feet and/or ankles and fatigue6 – can mistakenly be attributed to getting older. Because of this, diagnosing heart failure can be difficult and may not happen until the condition is at an advanced stage, or even until a patient is hospitalized for the condition.
Among people older than 65 years of age experiencing breathlessness on exertion, 1 in 6 will have unrecognized heart failure.7 If you experience these symptoms, it's important to take action and discuss with your health care provider.
If you are already diagnosed with heart failure, and your symptoms seem to get worse or change, contact your doctor promptly as it may be time to re-evaluate your management plan. Treatment options for heart failure have expanded in recent years, including a medicine called ENTRESTO® (sacubitril/valsartan) that is proven superior at helping people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction stay alive and out of the hospital8.
4. Hospitalization is a sign heart failure is worsening and that action must be taken.
Heart failure is both a chronic and progressive condition,2 meaning that it worsens over time and can lead to hospitalization and even death. Every 2 minutes in the U.S., someone is hospitalized due to heart failure symptoms.9
After a patient is hospitalized for heart failure, about 25 percent are re-hospitalized, and up to 10 percent are likely to die in the next 30 days.10
Because of the seriousness of a hospitalization, a goal is to manage heart failure as soon as it is recognized so that patients can reduce their chances of needing to go to the hospital11.
5. Heart failure needs prompt and proper management that addresses the care of the heart.
Because people with heart failure often have other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, their primary medical care may focus on managing that condition. If that happens heart failure care can be under-managed. It is crucial that heart failure is managed appropriately with lifestyle modifications, a proper diet, regular physical activity and specific medication proven safe and effective for the treatment of heart failure.12
ENTRESTO is a first-choice therapy for people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and it can be started in or out of the hospital.8 Its safety has been evaluated in people with heart failure specifically, which is important because heart failure can make the body vulnerable.8
Since 2017, heart failure guidelines developed by three leading heart expert groups (the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Heart Failure Society of America) have recommended ENTRESTO to reduce the risk of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death.11
If you have heart failure, you should work with your doctor to develop the right treatment plan for you. In addition to medication, it's important to:
- Monitor your symptoms closely and alert your doctor if they worsen.12
- Manage the condition with a low-salt diet.12
- Quit smoking if you do.13
- Participate in regular moderate physical activity, such as taking a walk. Speak with your doctor about an exercise program that is right for you.6
- Maintain a healthy body weight.12
If you or someone you love is experiencing the symptoms or worsening of heart failure, speak with a health care professional as soon as possible. For more information about heart failure and ENTRESTO, visit: ENTRESTO.com.
What is ENTRESTO?
ENTRESTO is a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in adults with long-lasting (chronic) heart failure. ENTRESTO is usually used with other heart failure therapies, in place of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or other angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) therapy.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about ENTRESTO?
ENTRESTO can harm or cause death to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about other ways to treat heart failure if you plan to become pregnant. If you get pregnant while taking ENTRESTO, tell your doctor right away.
Who should not take ENTRESTO?
Do not take ENTRESTO if you
- are allergic to sacubitril or valsartan or any of the ingredients in ENTRESTO
- have had an allergic reaction including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, throat (angioedema) or trouble breathing while taking a type of medicine called an ACE inhibitor or ARB
- take an ACE inhibitor medicine. Do not take ENTRESTO for at least 36 hours before or after you take an ACE inhibitor medicine. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking ENTRESTO if you are not sure if you take an ACE inhibitor medicine
- have diabetes and take a medicine that contains aliskiren
What should I tell my doctor before taking ENTRESTO?
Before you take ENTRESTO, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you have kidney or liver problems or a history of hereditary angioedema; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. You should either take ENTRESTO or breastfeed. You should not do both.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take potassium supplements or a salt substitute; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); lithium; or other medicines for high blood pressure or heart problems such as an ACE inhibitor, ARB, or aliskiren.
What are the possible side effects of ENTRESTO?
ENTRESTO may cause serious side effects including:
- angioedema that may cause trouble breathing and death. Get emergency medical help right away if you have symptoms of angioedema or trouble breathing. Do not take ENTRESTO again if you have had angioedema while taking ENTRESTO. People who are Black or who have had angioedema and take ENTRESTO may have a higher risk of having angioedema
- low blood pressure (hypotension). Call your doctor if you become dizzy or lightheaded, or you develop extreme fatigue
- kidney problems
- increased amount of potassium in your blood
The most common side effects were low blood pressure, high potassium, cough, dizziness, and kidney problems.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This information is not comprehensive. Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING, and Patient Prescribing Information.
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1. American Heart Association. What is Heart Failure? https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure. Accessed. May 10, 2019.
2. Cleveland Clinic. Heart Failure: Understanding Heart Failure. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17069-heart-failure-understanding-heart-failure. Accessed. May 10, 2019.
3. American Heart Association. Understand Your Risk for Heart Failure. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/causes-and-risks-for-heart-failure/understand-your-risk-for-heart-failure. Accessed. May 10, 2019.
4. Savarese G, Lund LH. Global public health burden of heart failure. Card Fail Rev. 2017;3:7-11.
5. Heidenreich PA, Albert NM, Allen LA, et al. Forecasting the impact of heart failure in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circ Heart Fail. 2013;6:606-619.
6. Fauci A, Longo D. Disorders of the Heart. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. 2008; 4:1442-55.
7. Evelien E.S., Hoes A, Limburg A, et al. Prevalence of unrecognized heart failure in older persons with shortness of breath on exertion. Eur J of Heart Fail. 2014;772-777.
8. ENTRESTO [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; October 2019.
9. Benjamin E, Muntner P, Alonso A, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2019;139:e56-e66.
10. Bueno H, Ross J, Wang Y, et al. Trends in Length of Stay and Short-Term Outcomes among Medicare Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: 1993-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(21):2141-2147.
11. Yancy CW, Jessup M, Bozkurt B, et al. 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of heart failure: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;62(16):e147-239.
12. Mayo Clinic. Heart Failure Diagnosis & treatment. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373148. Accessed. May 10, 2019
13. Djoussé L, Driver JA, Gaziano JM. Relation between modifiable lifestyle factors and lifetime risk of heart failure. JAMA. 2009;302:394–400.