The Heart Failure Society of America was instrumental in having the week of Valentine's Day declared as National Heart Failure Awareness Week. During Heart Failure Awareness week February 14-20, 2016, HFSA kicked off the Do Your Part, Know Your Heart initiative.

The campaign is a community-focused heart failure awareness initiative that encourages individuals to take an active role in maintaining their heart health. The campaign aims to promote self-health awareness by encouraging regular checkups, educating about the signs and symptoms of heart failure, providing information on diet and exercise, and stressing the importance of regular screenings.

Do Your Part, Know Your Heart seeks to make living with heart failure less of a challenge, and arms patients with the information and resources they need to take control of their heart health.

In the United States (US), approximately 5.7 million patients over the age of 20 years old have HF, with 870,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The total cost of HF is projected to reach close to $70 billion in 2030, an increase of almost 127% from 2012. Many Americans can significantly reduce their risk of heart failure if they have the information they need, know the questions to ask their health providers, and receive the support to make heart-smart changes in their lives. It is imperative we educate the public in our local communities about these staggering facts and get the word out about heart failure and management factors, and prevention factors.

Visit www.hfsa.org  for more information on Heart Failure or to download your Heart Failure Awareness Week toolkit and resources.