In this episode, we kick off our deep dive into heart failure treatment, starting with a fundamental goal: achieving ideal volume status. Managing fluid overload is crucial for symptom control and preventing hospitalizations — and today, we’re unpacking how to do it effectively.

We'll cover:

• Dry Weight: What it is, why it matters, and how to determine it.

• Fluid Restriction: When and why.

• Loop Diuretics: A comparison of the "Big 3" — Furosemide, Torsemide, and Bumetanide — including dosing strategies and absorption differences.

• Common Adverse Effects: Hypokalemia, renal function changes, and hypotension — what to monitor and how to respond.

• Potassium Supplementation: Should you start it preemptively when initiating a loop diuretic?

🔔 Stay tuned: In future episodes, we’ll continue walking through each major medication class used in heart failure management.

In this first installment of our multi-part series on Heart Failure (HF), we dive into why this condition deserves such focused attention—especially in older adults. Of the 5 million patients in the US that have heart failure, more than 75% of them are 65+. Understanding the nuances of this chronic, progressive disease is essential for clinicians in geriatric care.

Join us as we break down how to approach a patient with suspected heart failure, including key symptoms, diagnostic labs like BNP, and the role of imaging with echocardiography. We also explore the subtypes of HF—HFpEF, HFmrEF, and HFrEF—and discuss common communication pitfalls when discussing the diagnosis with patients.

Whether you’re in the clinic, at the bedside, or providing care via telemedicine, this episode lays the groundwork for confident, evidence-based heart failure management.