There is life after heart failure
The Coração de Portuga project is back, with three more episodes.
Heart failure is a disease that affects about 400 thousand people in Portugal. A disease still misunderstood by most people and that, for that very reason, may reach 500,000 patients by 2060.
That’s why any attempt to explain what this disease is, how it impacts patients’ lives, how it can be detected, and what treatments are available is so important. This is where the Heart of Portugal project comes in. An initiative that brings together Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias and TSF, with the support of Novartis and Medtronic, and which is back this week with the first of three new webisodes.
After, in the last edition, the project should be configured as living with heart failure, to what extent this changes people’s daily routines and having several factors, real, of people who live and live with this disease, along with hospitals and the health professionals who treat them, it is time to go a step further and show another side.
Show that, even with a disease, it is possible to live. And at the same time show that there are other factors that influence the severity of heart failure and its impact on the person concerned. Pre-determined exams, a balanced life (with changing some patterns, are essential for the control of the disease.
In the midst of what seems, in some cases, a hopeless case, there is the human touch that makes the difference. Whether the doctor is attentive and looking for the best treatment, or the caregiver who helps the elderly to overcome this difficulty, what is certain is that there is an “empowerment” of patients.
Awareness is important. As people perceive that its effects affect the consequences and that one wants to overcome the complete failure, they are likely to adopt other patterns. But, alongside this, correct and constant monitoring is extremely important. That can prevent risky situations and give patients years of life.
And one thing the pandemic showed was that technology is a big help in this regard. It is true that nothing replaces human contact, but when it comes to monitoring, tools such as teleconsultation and follow-up, for example, through applications or sending vital signs data, are extremely important for monitoring the disease, anticipation of risk episodes and even for the reduction of hospitalizations.
And, in this aspect, Portugal has a whole set of facilities with specific telemonitoring programs for patients with heart failure. Examples that we will show in the second webisode. A sample of one of the aspects of medicine of the future where technology is used in favor of health, namely in terms of prevention.
But treating heart failure is not enough to treat patients. It is necessary, first of all, to raise awareness in a population, in order to be able to “catch” as people before an illness, to show itself and to be registered at a more advanced stage. This is one of the purposes of these episodes. One of the missions of the Heart of Portugal is precisely to provide more information, useful information to the population, so that people, of their own free will, adopt more conscious habits and develop preventive behaviors. And show, through those who know – experts say – that this is a disease that affects more than just the “king” organ – the heart.
The first webisode will go live this week, more precisely on the 8th. The following webisodes will be released, respectively, on November 15th and 22nd. To not lose. Because heart failure can touch everyone.
Coração de Portugal is an initiative of DN, JN and TSF with the support of Novartis and Medtronic