This Sports Journalist and Her Heart Failure Diagnosis Story

This sports journalist tells how she leads a full life despite her heart ailment.

When one thinks of a person with heart failure, someone with an active lifestyle, such as sports journalist Jen Hale, usually does not spring to mind. Hale began suffering classic heart failure symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, swelling legs, and erratic heartbeat, around seven years ago. She was later diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that is a prevalent cause of heart failure.

“Prior to being diagnosed, I was a very active person. I was a college athlete before becoming a weekend warrior when I had to mature, acquire a real job, and become an adult. I was definitely someone who believed heart failure would never happen to me.” Hale says. “When they stated those words, “heart failure,” I believed you had my chart mixed up with someone else’s. Something is wrong; it can’t be something as serious as heart failure. Failure is a deceptive phrase; it implies that you failed the test and all is finished. “It is not.”

Hale recounts her road to diagnosis, how her family history provided her with clarity, and how she leads a full life while having heart failure. As part of her treatment strategy, Hale’s cardiologist advised ENTRESTO® (sacubitril/valsartan). It helps her manage her heart failure. Her physicians advised her to continue being active and working in the field of sports media in moderation. While everyone’s experience varies, ENTRESTO has helped Jen manage her heart problems.

What is ENTRESTO?

ENTRESTO is a prescription medication used to treat individuals with long-term (chronic) heart failure, lowering the risk of mortality and hospitalization. ENTRESTO works best when the heart is unable to pump a regular volume of blood to the body.

“I think mental toughness is an important part of the battle when receiving an initially frightening diagnosis,” Hale said. “You need optimism and a cause to keep going. You need a cause to believe you’re going to improve.”