While continued improvement in medical and device therapy for heart failure has led to better survival rates, there may be stronger evidence that heart failure can be prevented by favorable lifestyle choices vs. treatment of existing heart failure, according to a perspective from ACC's Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Council published Oct. 29 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The authors explain that it is important to "familiarize health care practitioners with a broad overview of lifestyle measures – specifically as they relate to heart failure – so that they can engage in more informed, shared decision-making with their patients." Read more on ACC.org.