Our Treatment section also features detailed descriptions of heart failure medications, how these medications work and their possible side effects. If you'd prefer a brief overview, check out our quick reference medication table . Cases Expected To Increase Nearly five million Americans are living with heart failure. In fact, it's one of the most common reasons why people over age 65 are admitted to the hospital. Cases have increased over the past few decades, and health experts project that this trend will continue as the population ages.
Heart failure is likely to touch more of our lives in the years to come.
That's why we've provided information to help you better understand heart failure, its risk factors and symptoms, and how it's diagnosed. When we're anxious or angry, or hearts beat faster and we breathe more heavily. It's not hard to imagine why this could make heart failure worse, since the heart is already having trouble meeting the body's demands. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes a day for quiet relaxation. For more tips, see our section on managing stress .