Lonely patients with heart failure least likely to follow treatment recommendations

Less than 10% of heart failure patients comply with advice on salt and fluid restrictions, daily weighing, and physical activity, according to a study presented at the Heart Failure 2019 Conference. Failure to adhere to lifestyle recommendations or regularly take medications contributes to worsening heart failure symptoms and a raised risk of hospitalisation. Breathlessness, swollen ankles and legs, and tiredness occur because the heart can no longer pump effectively. Fluid backs up in the lungs and is retained in parts of the body, and the muscles receive insufficient blood and oxygen. Daily weighing flags up worsening fluid retention, while salt and fluid