Australian researchers have linked heart failure with a decline in mental processes and a loss of grey matter in the brain.

These changes could make it difficult for heart failure (HF) patients to remember instructions such as taking the correct medication at the right times.

Patients with HF were found to have poorer immediate and long-term memory and reaction speeds than those without it. Heart failure was also associated with changes in brain regions that are important for memory, reasoning and planning.

Find a way to make your meds a part of your daily routine

Natasha Stewart, our Senior Cardiac Nurse, said: “Heart failure can affect people in very different ways. More research is needed to confirm the effect on mental processes, so that treatment can be targeted to look after patients in the best possible way.

“The biggest implication of this research is that patients may find it difficult to stick to treatment regimes and forget to take their medication. It is important to speak to your GP and your heart failure nurse about what is best for you. Together you can find a way to make your meds a part of your daily routine so that they are less easily forgotten.”

This study was published online by the European Heart Journal.

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