Advancement in heart failure medication helping patients at MercyOne

(ABC 6 News) – There are some medical issues that are an easy fix and then there are some that are more complex, like heart failure. For those with early signs of heart failure, an advancement in medication is making all the difference for patients at MercyOne.

More than six million adults in the United States have heart failure according to the National Institute of Health. Thanks to advancements in medication, that number could go down. At MercyOne, doctors are finding the drugs Entresto, a heart failure medication, and Jardiance, an anti-diabetic medication are helping heart failure symptoms decrease.

“In conjunction with the cardiology appointments that they have when they see their cardiologists, they’ll also go to a heart failure medication clinic,” explained Dr. Noor Subah, a cardiologist at MercyOne.

“Because in the extensive studies, we’ve done in heart failure medications, we know that the higher the dose we can go, the better the benefit is in improving patients mortality and functional capacity.”

Blaine Wilson of Swaledale, Iowa, south of Clear Lake, has Guillain-Barré syndrome. A condition where the immune system attacks the nerves and can also cause heart problems.

Having GBS for more than a decade, last summer, Wilson started having spells and one day passed out. If it wasn’t for his grandson starting CPR, he says he would have never made it to the hospital to get the help he needed.

“Your body can tell if you’re not feeling well. You just got to listen. Did I listen? No. I figured it will go away,” said Wilson.

Wilson is on the drug Entresto and also has a defibrillator.

“If you listen to your body and go get it checked out from your doctor, they can give you so much stuff that can make you better without having to go how far I did.”

As Wilson says, listen to your body. If you notice yourself getting short of breath from things you normally do just fine, swollen legs, or a rapid heartbeat, it’s time to see a doctor.