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Published on: April 8, 2013
Improving Quality of Life in Heart Failure
Kenneth E Freedland1, Michael W Rich2, Robert M Carney3
1Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA. freedlak@wustl.edu.
Purpose Of Review:
Heart failure has substantial effects on health-related quality of life. Maintaining or improving quality of life is an important goal of heart failure therapy, and many patients value better quality of life over greater longevity.
Recent Findings:
The symptoms and functional severity of heart failure, medical comorbidities, and depression are the strongest predictors of poor quality of life. Guideline-recommended medical and behavioral interventions for HF, including exercise training and cardiac rehabilitation, self-care interventions, and treatment of depression, can help to improve quality of life. Heart failure is, in most cases, a progressive condition with a poor prognosis. However, poor quality of life is not inevitable, and a variety of medical, surgical, and nonpharmacological interventions can help to maintain or improve quality of life in patients with heart failure.
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Heart Failure V: Medical Management
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies
Heart Failure VII: Nursing Interventions
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Heart Failure I: Introduction
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology

