Effectiveness of Lifestyle Changes on Heart Failure
Nicole Biggs
Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation
College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major: Nursing (MSN)
Faculty Research Mentor: Elsie Rivera
Abstract:
Introduction: African Americans have the highest incidences of mortality stemming from HF. According to the Heart Failure Society of America, one-third of the adult population in the United States is at risk for HF, while 24-34% of the population is living with pre-existing symptoms. Research identifies that these individuals have an increased risk of later developing full-fledged HF due to obesity, hypertension and a realm of other modifiable comorbidities.Methods: CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Cochrane, Pubmed, NIH (National Institute of Health), and ScienceDirect were all searched to identify relevant studies between 2014 and 2025. Included were RCTs, case studies and qualitative studies of lifestyle changes implemented within HF patients who reported improvement in their quality of life. Outcomes of interest were lowered BMI, decrease in overall blood pressure as well as an improved ejection fraction and increase in physical capacity to carry out normal ADLs. A collective of 12 scholarly and academic journal studies were reviewed for an observational approach in evaluating how lifestyle changes in these patients can support and improve quality of life and well-being; 8 articles were selected for use towards this study.Results: Findings suggest the DASH diet produced lower long-term rates of HF. Cardiac rehab along with smoking cessation resulted in a reduction in hospitalization stays and readmission. And with consideration for nutrition intervention, decreased sodium intake led to overall weighless, lowering these incidences as well. Disease progression hindered quality of life while exhibiting symptoms such as dyspnea, edema, and fatigue, oftentimes induced by coronary artery disease and fluid overload.Discussion: Connections are made between lifestyle modifications that enhance quality of life in individuals with HF while drawing comparisons and differences in one’s quality of life when modifications are made compared to when they are not. Review of the studies highlights how strongly lifestyle modifications impact each group and the effectiveness of health promotion preventing disease progression.Keywords: Heart Failure, Quality of Life, Lifestyle Modification, Weight Management, Physical Activity