Living with moderate-severe chronic heart failure as a middle-aged person.

In this article the authors describe a study focusing on middle-aged persons living with chronic heart failure (CHF), a group with which few studies have been conducted. They used the lifeworld perspective to focus on persons' lived experiences of the phenomenon, that is, living with moderate-severe CHF as a middle-aged person. They interviewed 7 middle-aged persons (4 men, 3 women; aged 38 to 65 years) and analyzed the data obtained using a phenomenological approach. The phenomenon's essence is described as a life situation characterized by a failing body, a life constantly under threat, a rapidly changing health condition, and an altered self-image, which implies that the persons live in a changed life situation. The essence was further illuminated by three meaning constituents: an ambiguity of the body, losing track of life, and balancing life. Knowledge from this study will help caregivers understand and support patients with this debilitating condition.