Heart Failure Awareness Week

Heart Failure Awareness Week

Heart Failure Awareness Week takes place the week of Valentine’s Day. HF is a progressive condition in which the heart loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body’s needs. The awareness color associated with Heart Failure Awareness Week is red. Personalized Cause offers red enamel awareness ribbon pins in both personalized and non-personalized versions. We also offer red fabric ribbons in bulk, and individually packaged red silicone awareness wristband bracelets. All awareness products are available in personalized and non-personalized styles. Engrave a name, date or message to raise awareness during this important awareness month.

Red represents heart failure awareness. It is, in addition, shared with several other prominent heart conditions. Heart disease impacts a majority of families. This is why having a prominent, supporting color is so important. Red signifies the color of the heart and the blood in our body. Learn more about heart failure by reading our blog and exploring resources that are listed at the bottom of this page.

Heart Failure Awareness Week is a nationwide campaign to bring awareness to the risk factors, signs, symptoms, and treatment of heart failure (HF).

While the term “heart failure” might imply that the heart is no longer working and there is no hope for recovery, this is not entirely true. As an example, The Heart Failure Awareness Week 2023 theme was Heart Success: Function Not Failure. The purpose of this campaign is to shed light on all that can be done to treat HF based on how a patient’s heart is functioning.

Statistics About Heart Failure

About 6.2 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure and the course of treatment and patient prognosis can vary greatly by individual. Despite this staggering number, patients living with HF can indeed lead normal, active lifestyles. The Heart Success: Function Not Failure campaign aimed to empower patients living with HF and their caregivers or loved ones to learn about the how-tos of self-advocacy. In addition, the campaign stressed decision-making, making healthy choices to improve their quality of life, and optimizing visits with their healthcare provider team. The campaign also provided information for at-risk individuals, including who might be at-risk and how they can start a conversation about the risk factors and signs of HF.

Heart Failure (HF) remains a growing concern in healthcare. Further, heart failure contributes to approximately 287,000 deaths per year and carries a 50% mortality rate within 5 years of diagnosis.

Other Conditions (Co-morbidities)

A staggering public health problem, about 6 million Americans are living with heart failure today. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons people 65 and older go into the hospital.

Preventing heart failure involves controlling other conditions, such as:

• Hypertension.
• Coronary artery disease.
• Diabetes.
• Hyperlipidemia.
• Obesity.
• Arrhythmias.
• Valvular disease.
• Substance abuse.
• Thyroid disorders.

In addition, eating a heart-healthy diet, quitting tobacco use, and participating in a regular exercise program are also important preventions.

Heart Failure Awareness Week Advocate Activities

Here are five ways you can join us in supporting the campaign:

1. Follow HFSA on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
2. Become a Promoter! For example, join in sharing content developed by HFSA on your social media channels.
3. Tune in to a Live X (Twitter) Chat with partner organizations. Join HFSA and other heart failure-focused organizations on X for a lively discussion on heart failure. The purpose of the chat is to provide healthcare providers and heart failure patients with an overview on the status of heart failure and to discuss ways to improve quality of care and expand heart failure awareness.
4. Tune in to Instagram for a Live Discussion with a patient advocate and a heart failure physician.
5. Sign up for the HFSA Heart Failure Awareness 365 eNewsletter! Heart failure affects millions around the world.

HFSA also encourages followers to share valuable patient resources with friends, family, peers and colleagues.

(Image: Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash)