I Love….

In this month of love, many texts and valentines use shorthand to say I Love You. We have come to equate the iconic heart with love and emotion. I recently went to a chocolate shop and rather than the heart shape, they had an anatomical heart molded from chocolate. I thought it was great! But what about a broken heart?

The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation readmissions data indicates the highest readmission rates in our area are for people with heart failure. While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) fee for service patient readmissions from pneumonia or heart attack in the metroplex have an average 30-day readmission rate of approximately 15 and 13 percent (the 2010 national rate is 18.4 percent for pneumonia, 19.8 percent for heart attack and 24.8 percent for heart failure), average readmission rate for heart failure is 18-19 percent. Our area is doing better than the national average, which is great, but with all the attention to hearts, heart attacks and cardiac resuscitation, there has been little information provided to the public about heart failure.

I was thrilled to receive a notice yesterday from the American Heart Association that they are now partnering with the Heart Failure Society of America. One of their statistics is that “5.7 million Americans are currently living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.” This is a sobering trend as heart failure requires a fine balance of diet and lifestyle adjustments, along with prescribed medication to manage this chronic disease. Patients must be part of the team to implement the necessary modifications to maximize quality of life.

So, take the time to learn how best to take care of you and your heart!