Recall of lifestyle advice in patients recently hospitalised with heart failure: A EuroHeart Failure Survey analysis

Background: There are limited data on recall and implementation of lifestyle advice in patients with heart failure (HF). Aim: To investigate what advice patients with HF recall being given, and whether they report following the advice they remember. Methods and results: 3261 patients with suspected HF participating in the EuroHeart Failure Survey were interviewed by a health professional 12 weeks after hospital discharge. Patients recalled receiving 46% of pre-specified items of advice and 67% reported that they followed these completely. Both recall (53%) and implementation (71%) was best in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). In multivariate analysis, younger age, male sex, patient awareness of the condition and patients reporting that they received a clear explanation of the diagnosis by a health professional, all factors associated with having LVSD, were the strongest predictors of recall. Conclusions: Recall of and adherence to advice by patients with HF in this large European cross-sectional survey was disappointing. Responsibility for patient education lies with health professionals who should ensure that patients receive and understand advice, and are able to recall and follow it. A greater awareness of the issues surrounding lifestyle advice and more evidence supporting its value could improve patient care. (c) 2007 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.