Keep your heart pumping stronger, longer.
Heart failure happens when the heart muscle weakens or stiffens and can’t pump enough blood to meet the needs of your body. Your heart is still working, but it isn’t working effectively enough. This can damage your organs and cause fluid to build up in your lungs.
Fortunately, heart failure is treatable. At East Carolina Heart Institute, we’re dedicated to providing you with symptom relief and avoiding hospitalization. Most importantly, we’ll help you see that heart failure doesn’t have to be the end of your story.
What is heart failure?
Heart failure is a result of damaged or compromised by arrhythmia, blockages in the arteries, viruses, high blood pressure and other conditions. The stages of heart failure include:
- Stage A: Patients with risk factors only.
- Stage B: Patients have no symptoms, but diagnostic imaging and blood work evidence.
- Stage C: Patients have symptoms, diagnostic imaging and blood work evidence.
- Stage D: Traditional treatments are no longer working.
Hear from Dr. Courtney Saunders, a cardiologist at ECU Health, as she explains heart failure, medications, signs and symptoms, tests, treatment options and more.
Services and Treatments
- Advanced imaging – echocardiogram, Cardiac CT, Cardiac MRI
- Cardiac catheterization
- CardioMEMS – remote pulmonary artery pressure monitoring
Your care team may suggest a combination of medications designed to treat your symptoms by:
- Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
- Promoting water loss/reduce fluid
- Reducing strain on the heart
- Maintaining normal heart rhythm
Cardiovascular rehab can help you control symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, and it can stop or reverse damage to blood vessels. ECU Health offers this program in six locations – Edenton, Greenville, Nags Head, Roanoke Rapids, Tarboro, Washington and Wilson.
Heart & Vascular Care News
Stay up-to-date on all things ECU Health Heart & Vascular Care with the important headlines below. Visit the Newsroom for news and information from across the health system.
ECU Health announces 2025 Board Quality Leadership Award winners
ECU Health Medical Center offers new treatments for tricuspid valve regurgitation
Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation program, the first of its kind in eastern North Carolina, serves rural community with evidence-based cardiovascular care