Heart Failure Matters.org - Patient Website

With simple changes in lifestyle and appropriate treatment, many people with heart failure live full and active lives. Heartfailurematters.org helps patients and their families get a better understanding of how to live with heart failure.

Heartfailurematters.org is an educational website available in 10 languages, developed by cardiologists, nurses, primary care physicians and patients from the Heart Failure Association of the ESC.

It highlights lifestyle adjustments that enable patients with heart failure to maintain their quality-of-life. Designed for people with heart failure, their families and care givers, the website attracts over 2.6 million visitors per year.

Users also include doctors and nurses, who find it helpful as a tool to provide practical information to patients.

Innovative and user friendly

Visitors get comprehensive, practical information on living with heart failure and how to cope with drugs, devices and their diagnosis.

The site includes captivating animations, videos, patient stories, useful downloadable tools, frequently asked questions, polls and quizzes.

Anna, an animated guide, helps users navigate the site.

Come to our Facebook page and share your own views and experiences with other patients, families and caregivers.

Visit Heart Failure Matters

What would you like to say to healthcare professionals about the importance of quality of life?

In this new episode of "Discussion with a patient", Maggie Simpson is interviewing Richard Mindham, a patient who lives with heart failrue for the last 16 years, on what is his position on quality of life and how did it disucssed it with his healthcare professionals.

Watch more on heartfailurematters.org

Developed by experts of the Heart Failure Association

This website has been developed over the years by a dedicated group of cardiologists, nurses, and patients, following the recommendations outlined in the European Society of Cardiology Practice Guidelines. The ESC Patient Forum has also contributed to its content.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all the volunteers who have contributed to the creation, updating, and review of this website over the years, as acknowledged here.

The site is regularly updated and maintained by its committee.

Doctor Styliani Vakrou

Committee member

Professor Mucio Tavares de Oliveira Junior

Committee member

Professor Stefan Stoerk

Chairperson

Professor Hadi Skouri

Committee member

Mrs Maggie Simpson

Core group member

Mr Michael Madigan

Committee member - Patient representative

Doctor Michal Laufer-Perl

Committee member

Professor Mitja Lainscak

Committee member

Doctor Emmanouil Kampanieris

Committee member

Professor Tiny Jaarsma

Committee member

President of the Heart Failure Association (2002–2004)

Professor Kenneth Dickstein

Co-Chairperson

Doctor Michela Barisone

Committee member

Living well with Heart Failure in Ireland

In this episode of "Discussion with a patient", Prof. Kenneth Dickstein is interviewing Michael Madigan, a patient who lives with heart failure for several years. Through this discussion, he is sharing his personal story and how he overcame living with his heart failure.

Watch more videos on heartfailurematters.org

Papers on Heartfailurematters.org

Throughout the years, the core group has published related data and recommendations in various European Society of Cardiology journals.

European Heart Journal

Eur Heart J. 2017 Oct 7;38(38):2861-2862. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehx571. "Heartfailurematters.org"
Dickstein K.

European Journal of Heart Failure

European Journal of Heart Failure 2017 Nov;19(11):1447-1454. doi: 10.1002/ejhf.917. Epub 2017 Sep 4.
"'heartfailurematters.org', an educational website for patients and carers from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology: objectives, use and future directions"
Wagenaar KP, Rutten FH, Klompstra L, Bhana Y, Sieverink F, Ruschitzka F, Seferovic PM, Lainscak M, Piepoli MF, Broekhuizen BDL, Strömberg A, Jaarsma T, Hoes AW, Dickstein K.
European Journal of Heart Failure 2015 Dec;17(12):1310-6. doi: 10.1002/ejhf.413. Epub 2015 Oct 1.
"Effectiveness of an interactive platform, and the ESC/HFA heartfailurematters.org website in patients with heart failure: design of the multicentre randomized e-Vita heart failure trial"
Wagenaar KP, Broekhuizen BD, Dickstein K, Jaarsma T, Hoes AW, Rutten FH.
European Journal of Heart Failure (2011) 13, 115–126 doi:10.1093/eurjhf/hfq219
"Self-care management of heart failure: practical recommendations from the Patient Care Committee of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology"
Mitja Lainscak, Lynda Blue, Andrew L. Clark, Ulf Dahlstro M, Kenneth Dickstein, Inger Ekman, Theresa McDonagh, John J. McMurray, Mary Ryder, Simon Stewart, Anna Stromberg, and Tiny Jaarsma.

European Journal of Cardiovascular Nurses

Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2008 Mar;7(1):1. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcnurse.2008.01.001.
"Heart failure matters"
Jaarsma T.