Although there usually is no cure for heart failure, by working with your healthcare professional it can be treated and managed. By carefully following your medication, diet, and lifestyle program, you may improve your symptoms and reduce the risk of your heart failure getting worse.
Important aspects of heart failure management that may help keep you healthy and out of the hospital include:
- Take your medications as directed by your healthcare professional
- Eat a low-salt, heart-healthy diet
- Exercise regularly as advised by your healthcare professional
- Modify your lifestyle
- Quit smoking
- Limit or avoid alcohol
- Weigh yourself daily; call your healthcare professional for any sudden weight gain
- Keep track of your symptoms; notify your healthcare professional if they get worse
- Avoid stress
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
NATRECOR® should not be used in patients with certain types of heart failure. NATRECOR® may reduce kidney function in some patients. In clinical studies, more patients receiving NATRECOR® had increases in a common blood measurement called "serum creatinine" than patients who were treated with standard therapy. Increases in serum creatinine often suggest that kidney function has declined. These changes were particularly noticeable at higher doses. For this reason, it is important your doctor uses NATRECOR® at the recommended dose.
In some of the clinical trials more patients who were treated with NATRECOR® died than patients treated with other standard medications. These differences were small and the deaths may or may not have been caused by NATRECOR®. Use of NATRECOR® can lower blood pressure. When NATRECOR® causes a drop in blood pressure it can be a serious side effect requiring treatment. It is important that your doctor only use NATRECOR® in a setting where your blood pressure can be closely monitored.
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about NATRECOR®'s potential side effects, and other treatment options for heart failure.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please click here to see Full Product Information for NATRECOR®.
INDICATION
NATRECOR® (nesiritide) is a drug that is used by doctors, primarily in the hospital setting. NATRECOR® helps patients with heart failure when their condition worsens to the point that they have difficulty breathing when they are not active (like when they are resting in bed) or when they engage in slight physical activity (like brushing their teeth).
