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Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

You may feel frustrated, upset or overwhelmed upon learning you or your loved one has heart disease. Fortunately, there are ways to help cope with heart disease or improve your condition. These include:

  • Cardiac rehabilitation. For people who have cardiovascular disease that's caused a heart attack or has required surgery to correct, cardiac rehabilitation is often recommended as a way to improve treatment and speed recovery. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program often divided into phases that involve various levels of monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support, and support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of heart problems.
  • Support groups. Finding out that you or a loved one has heart disease can be unnerving. Turning to friends and family for support is essential, but if you find you need more help, talk to your doctor about joining a support group. You may find that talking about your concerns with others who are experiencing the same difficulties can help.
  • Continued medical checkups. If you have a recurring or chronic heart condition, it's a good idea to regularly check in with your doctor to make sure you're properly managing your heart condition. Regular checkups can help your doctor decide if you need to change your treatment, and may help catch new problems early, if they occur. If you're the parent of a child with heart disease, it's a good idea to encourage your child to regularly visit his or her doctor to monitor a heart condition in adulthood.
Prevention Alternative medicine
References
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  2. Arrhythmias. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4469. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  3. Arrhythmia: A problem with your heartbeat. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/286.html. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  4. Congenital heart defects. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/chd/chd_all.html. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  5. Cooper LT, Jr. Definition and classification of the cardiomyopathies. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2008.
  6. McKenna WJ. Medical therapy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2008.
  7. Torpy JM, et al. Heart valve infections. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1396.
  8. Heart valves. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4598. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  9. Feldman AM, et al. Myocarditis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;343:1388.
  10. Moreillon P, et al. Infective endocarditis. The Lancet. 2004;363:139.
  11. Zeller JL, et al. Pericardial effusion. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;297:1844.
  12. Control your risk factors. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=581. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
  13. Davis MM, et al. Influenza vaccination as secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease: A science advisory from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. Circulation. 2006;114:1553.
  14. Tonetti MS, et al. Treatment of periodontitis and endothelial function. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356:911.
  15. Spahr A, et al. Periodontal infections and coronary heart disease. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2006;166:544.
  16. Rosendorff C, et al. Treatment of hypertension in the prevention and management of ischemic heart disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research and the Councils on Clinical Cardiology and Epidemiology and Prevention. Circulation. 2007;115:2761.
  17. Chobanian AV, et al. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003;289:2560.
  18. Fletcher B, et al. Managing abnormal blood lipids: A collaborative approach. Circulation. 2005;112:3184.
  19. Poobalan A, et al. Effect of weight loss in overweight/obese individuals and long-term lipid outcomes - A systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2004;5:43.
  20. Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. About your heart-catheter procedures. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2005.
  21. Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005161. Accessed June 16, 2008.
  22. Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005172. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  23. Cardiac rehabilitation. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4490. Accessed Nov. 14, 2008.
  24. Natural medicines in the clinical management of hyperlipidemia. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 12, 2008.

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Jan. 28, 2009

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