I am not a cardiologist but want to point out that a diagnosis of heart failure is NOT a death sentence.

For those who have been diagnosed with it should know their EF and which symptoms are related to HF. EF is determined during a ecocardiogram. This is a subjective test though and heart failure doctors will tell you a lot of determination on what level of failure you are at is based on how you feel, what you are able to do, and symptoms you have (swelling in limbs, lung congestion, fatigue, breathlessness, hospitalizations, etc.).

Again I am not a cardiologist and NO expert on this but the term heart failure Is NOT that the heart has failed. It means it's functioning has been reduced. Many things can cause that. Heart attacks, cardiomyopathy, viruses, electrical problems, high blood pressure, etc. I am being treated at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville by the division head of the heart failure/transplant division. I have been his patient since 2006. Yes I am in good hands!

I want to be completely clear a diagnosis of heart failure is serious. My personal opinion though is the name should be changed to something like reduced heart function. Then the term heart failure used when you are hospitalized and your heart has and is failing.

I saw one poster said her mother lived a long life with it and died at age 93. I have had diagnosis of HF for 23 years and I am 76 years old who does Sprint Triathlons. My HF nurse told me they have individuals doing construction work with an EF of 10%. I have a low EF but told my body had compensated for the reduce blood flow very well and thus very little symptoms.

There are different levels of heart failure. I was told it was from 1-4. I am listed a 1-2 level. I take medications for my heart failure (entresto and carvedidol spell?) but have never been hospitalized for heart failure. I have an ICD/Pacemaker as electrical problems with heart is how mine started with cardiomyopathy.

There are excellent medications and treatments for heart failure. I was diagnosed in 2000 with heart failure. It is now 2023. One of the worst things is not treating high blood pressure. It can cause undue stress on heart and cause it to get larger. As it gets larger it starts losing its contraction ability (EF). Many treatments have been shown to improve EF and/or maintain it from getting worse.