Understanding heart failure warning signs
Part of living with heart failure is knowing the warning signs of a serious problem. Our care team can help you and your loved ones understand what to watch for and what to do if your symptoms change.
Remote monitoring for heart failure
Penn Medicine’s heart failure care specialists are experts in using implanted and wearable devices to monitor your heart remotely. These devices can help detect problems early, sometimes before you notice symptoms, and may help prevent hospitalization. Through clinical trials, we’re researching additional remote monitoring devices that can detect early signs of worsening heart failure.
CardioMEMS™ is an implanted remote monitoring device that allows heart failure specialists to track pressure in your pulmonary artery from a distance. Your care team places the tiny device, about the size of a paper clip, in the pulmonary artery during a minimally invasive outpatient procedure.
CardioMEMS wirelessly sends daily readings to a home monitoring unit. The device measures pulmonary artery pressure, which can increase when fluid begins to build up. A heart failure specialist reviews the readings and may adjust your medication before symptoms occur.
Personalized exercise for heart failure
Exercise is good for most people with heart failure. It can make your heart and lungs stronger and may reduce symptoms. But knowing what kind of exercise is best for you can be tricky.
At Penn Medicine, you have teams of physicians, nurses, and cardiac rehabilitation therapists on your side. We can design a personalized exercise plan based on your overall health, test results, and any limitations you may have. We’ll help you find the right balance between activity and rest and improve your strength and endurance. And if you’re an athlete or highly active, our sports cardiology program can help you build a safe strategy for staying active.
Support for living with heart failure
Throughout your journey with heart failure, we offer comprehensive support for all aspects of your life. Our team can help you make treatment decisions and implement lifestyle changes to feel your best:
- Smoking cessation: Smoking is especially dangerous for people with heart failure. Penn Medicine’s smoking cessation program can help you quit successfully and reduce your risk of heart attack.
- Nutrition guidance: Sodium can lead to swelling and aggravate heart failure symptoms. Our nutritionists and nurses will help you learn how to read nutrition labels correctly and limit salt intake. We can also teach you what to eat, what to avoid, and how to lose weight and improve cholesterol.
- Mental health: Anxiety and depression are common in patients with chronic illness. Our physicians can refer you for medical treatment that is safe for your heart and help connect you to counseling.
- Palliative care: Our palliative care specialists help you live well and with dignity, and involve your loved ones in your care plan. They help you make informed decisions about pain and symptom management, make sure your treatment matches your goals, and offer emotional support along the way.
- Sleep testing and interventions: Many patients with heart conditions also have sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. The heart failure team often collaborates with sleep medicine experts to manage sleep disorders that impact your heart.
- Social workers: Penn Medicine’s heart failure program has its own team of social workers. They can help you and your family connect with resources and programs that offer support.