The heart is a remarkable, powerful organ. The more you know about how your heart works and what you can do to help it work better, the healthier and more in control of your life you'll feel.

The heart care teams of Allina Health want you to know that you are not alone on this journey. There are many ways we can help you help your heart.

• Some heart problems can be improved by surgery or a procedure.
• Others can be managed by taking medicine and changing your lifestyle.

The goal of this manual is to help you feel better and manage your condition. It is divided into three sections:

• Your heart and types of heart problems helps you learn about your heart's anatomy and about your heart problem.
• Healthy living covers the lifestyle changes that will help your heart problem — for example, nutrition, exercise and medicines.
• Resources contains reference information you can use to find answers to specific questions.