The following actions can lower the risks of additional complications for patients with heart failure:

• Confirm your medications are appropriate. Have a specialist regularly review your medications to ensure you are receiving the proper type and dosage.
• Don’t drink excessive amounts of fluid. Fluid build-up is a contributing factor in heart failure.
• Don’t eat salty foods, as they retain fluids and can lead to heart failure.
• Exercise regularly.
• When food shopping, pay attention to labels. Go on a video tour of a grocery store with a Johns Hopkins registered dietitian.

Additional Resources

For the links below, you are being redirected to a web site outside of Johns Hopkins for informational purposes only. Johns Hopkins is not responsible for any aspect of the external web site.

• What is Heart Failure?  American Heart Association
• How Can I Live with Heart Failure? American Heart Association
• Interactive Heart Failure Workbook, American Heart Association
• Learn more about heart failure, Heart Failure Society of America