- [Voiceover] In the next 15 years the number of
Americans suffering from heart failure is expected
to grow by nearly 40% and the cost of managing
it will be more than double.
That's why the American Heart Association has
launched an awareness initiative called
Rise Above Heart Failure.
Cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy, a past president
of the American Heart Association, joins us
now with more.
First of all, Doctor, thank you so much for
joining us today.
- Thank you, I'm delighted to be with you today.
- [Voiceover] So, Doctor, can you tell us more
about heart failure and its impact?
- The American Heart Association has launched
a campaign known as Rise Above Heart Failure
because there's an incredible need and a great
opportunity to make a difference here.
Heart failure is not a heart attack, it's any
condition where the heart is not working properly
and it leads to symptoms, like shortness of breath
and fatigue.
Importantly, it's ubiquitous.
One in five Americans will develop this condition
before they pass on, so it's not about somebody
else, it's about all of us, all of us are at risk.
We know that, through launching this campaign,
if we can raise the awareness, we can drive people
to early detection, earlier treatment, and we can
lower the burden of this condition.
So Rise Above Heart Failure is about a very
important objective, to make a big difference
in the lives of people at risk for or those who
already have the condition know as heart failure.
- [Voiceover] So Doctor, what can people do to
reduce their risk of heart failure?
- One of the important messages that is embedded
in Rise Above Heart Failure is the message of
prevention, so what people can do to lessen the
likelihood of having this condition is to know your
blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, get it treated.
Know your blood sugar.
If you have diabetes, get that under control.
And especially if you're overweight; if you have
obesity, then by all means work hard to get your
weight to an appropriate threshold.
High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, those are
the risk factors that are most important in
developing this condition.
The same can be said, by the way, for atherosclerosis
or hardening of the arteries, so having these
heart-healthy lifestyle issues and opportunities
really matter.
It can make a big difference.
- [Voiceover] So Doctor, what are some of the signs
and symptoms of heart failure and what should we
do if we notice them?
- What's so important and what's so well laid out
in Rise Above Heart Failure is these early warning
signs, the symptoms, the first onset of something
that should raise someone's attention.
So things like shortness of breath, something as
subtle as "I just feel tired" or "I feel tired all
the time."
Listlessness, not being very energetic, they all
sound very vague but once you put them in the
context of somebody that has high blood pressure
or previous heart attack, you begin to appreciate
that perhaps this is heart failure so never dismiss
those vague symptoms, always be willing to
bring them to the attention of a healthcare provider.
If it's heart failure, we can do something positive
about that.
- [Voiceover] Doctor, talk a little bit about the
initiative and tell us more where our viewers can
get more information.
- So Rise Above Heart Failure is an important
campaign, the goals are simple.
To raise awareness by at least 10%, hopefully
a lot more, and to reduce the burden of disease,
particularly hospitalizations, by at least 10%
if not a lot more.
We have all of this well-depicted at the website
RiseaboveHF.org
For general information about heart disease
and heart disease prevention, stroke prevention
as well, Heart.org is a great resource.
And then especially between February 14th and
February 20th, Heart Failure Awareness Week,
lots of messaging in social media, lay press,
medical press, to really help us all understand
that we can take failure out of this equation
and we can convert heart failure into success
by raising awareness, getting people in therapies,
the right therapies at the right time for the
right person.
We do that, do it well, we can make a big difference.
- [Voiceover] Doctor, can you tell us more about
heart failure and its impact, particularly among
African Americans?
- So where all of the messaging that's embedded
in Rise Above Heart Failure becomes uniquely
and acutely important is when we're talking about
special populations, especially African Americans.
I've studied this population for over 25 years
and have recognized the burden of this condition that's
embedded within the African American community.
The disease happens at least 20 years earlier,
meaning that it strikes at peak years of earning
and quality of life, family time;
this is an unacceptable burden.
By raising the awareness of the condition, heart
failure, in the African American community, we can
fundamentally change life and living for a very
important segment of the population.
Again, it's about high blood pressure, it's about
obesity, it's about atherosclerosis, it's about
diabetes.
If we can get these messages embedded in the
African American community, we can make a
really big difference.
- [Voiceover] Great information, Doctor.
One more time, where can we send our viewers
for more information?
- So for more information, please go to
RiseaboveHF.org
Please go to Heart.org,
and pay attention during Heart Failure Awareness
Week, lots of messaging that will be very beneficial.
- [Voiceover] Thank you very much for joining
us today.
- Thank you very much.