Heart Failure Care

Heart failure happens when your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. It usually develops gradually, over time. Your kidneys respond by retaining water and salt, which causes swelling in your arms, legs, feet, lungs and other organs. This leads to congestion, which is why it’s also known as congestive heart failure

Heart failure is caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy and heart defects — any condition that damages your heart. Lung disease, smoking, obesity and other conditions can also lead to heart failure.

PeaceHealth takes a coordinated approach to help you manage heart failure.

Helping you take control

PeaceHealth offers a range of programs to help you stop smoking, lose weight and eat healthier. These lifestyle changes can help relieve heart failure symptoms and give you the power to take control of your health.

Evidence-based heart failure management

PeaceHealth follows nationally recognized guidelines to help you manage heart failure. We develop treatment plans that combine activity, weight monitoring, symptom monitoring, healthy eating and medicines. You’ll take an active role in your health and well-being.

Partnering for health

PeaceHealth empowers you to improve your heart health. Your care team blends treatment, goal setting, medicine management, group education and telemonitoring (checking your heart remotely)to give you the power to feel better.

Advanced treatments

Heart failure specialists at PeaceHealth offer a full range of treatments. Treatments include valve replacement and implantable cardiac devices that help your heart pump blood more efficiently.

Conditions We Treat

Heart Failure

Also called congestive heart failure, heart failure takes place when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood. It’s caused by either stiffening or weakening of the heart muscle.

Systolic heart failure: The left ventricle of your heart, which pumps most of the blood, has become weak. This usually happens because it's gotten bigger. Since it's larger, the ventricle can't contract the way it should. Because of that, your heart doesn't pump with enough force to push blood throughout your body.
Diastolic heart failure: The left ventricle has become stiffer than normal. Because of that, your heart can't relax the way it should. When it pumps, it can't fill up with blood as it's supposed to. Because there's less blood in the ventricle, less blood is pumped out to your body.

Treatments Provided

Cardiac rehabilitation (heart failure)

Cardiac rehabilitation can help improve your quality of life. PeaceHealth offers medical oversight, education and guidance on exercise and nutrition, which can give you more energy and help you feel better.

Diagnosis and imaging (heart failure)

There’s no single test to diagnose heart failure, so your doctor may use a few methods such as echocardiography, angiography (using CT or MRI), nuclear cardiac testing or other noninvasive imaging tests. Your doctor may also use minimally invasive cardiac catheterization, which uses tiny tubes inserted through tiny incisions (cuts) to look inside your heart.

Implanted cardiac devices

Your doctor may decide to use a tiny device that's surgically implanted in your heart to help improve your symptoms, such as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that helps your heart pump blood. If you have advanced heart failure, which can prevent your ventricles from contracting at the same time, a pacemaker can help your ventricles work together.

Lifestyle changes (heart failure)

Your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes to help you manage heart failure, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, losing weight and quitting smoking. You’ll learn ways to reduce your symptoms, which can lead to a better quality of life.

Medicine management (heart failure)

Medicines can help your heart pump more efficiently, lower your blood pressure and reduce swelling. Your doctor will talk to you about which medicines are right for you.