Here's Why the Condition Is No Longer a Death Sentence - Article Health

Queen Latifah’s mother, Rita Owens, has died after living with heart failure for 14 years, the actress and singer said yesterday. Owens, 69, was diagnosed with the cardiovascular condition in 2006, and filmed a PSAthis link opens in a new tab with her daughter in 2015 about “rising above” heart failure.

In a statement to People, Latifah said that her mother “had struggled with a heart condition for many years and her battle is now over.” Latifah also spoke with Health in 2016 about her mother’s condition and how it inspired healthy lifestyle changes for her entire family.

The phrase “heart failure” can be extremely frightening—and it certainly is a serious condition, especially because it often occurs along with other life-threatening complications. For example, Owens was diagnosed with sleep apnea at the same time it was discovered she had heart failure. In 2013, she was diagnosed with sclerodermathis link opens in a new tab, a lung condition for which she needed supplementary oxygen to help her breathe.

Owens’ battle may now be over, but her last 14 years are evidence that a diagnosis of heart failure is not an immediate death sentence. In fact, says Sara Tabtabai, MD, co-director of the University of Connecticut Heart Failure Center, treatments have improved drastically in recent years—and it’s now common for patients to live for many years with the condition.

“Many patients hear 'heart failure' and immediately think 'heart transplant' or 'death,'” says Dr. Tabtabai, who was not involved in Owens’ treatment. “I try to reassure them that for most patients there are many options before we get anywhere near that: Our focus is to decrease or eliminate symptoms and improve heart function as best we can.”



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