By Morgan Quattlebaum |ContributorAugusta University held its annual Heart Failure Information Expo recently with the main focus of informing the public about the signs of heart failure and how to prevent it. There were also free screenings provided for the most common causes of heart failure, such as high blood pressure, blood sugar imbalance, sleep apnea and obesity.Clinical Dietician Amber Fentress spoke about the goal's of the expo."Our biggest issue right now is spreading awareness and getting the word out there that we do this every year," she said. "Usually, the only people that see this event are passers-by walking through the lobby."She wants to get the word out that they are here to help spread information about preventing heart failure and they want more people to come out and participate in the free screenings and learn about how easy it is to prevent heart failure.“Heart failure affects one in five Americans, it kills more people in the world than all the cancers put together,” said Debra Crew, heart failure coordinator, “but if i walk into a room and say to a patient if you could have heart failure or some type of cancer, which would you rather have, they would always choose cancer over heart failure, yet heart failure will kill them faster."The whole purpose behind this event was to inform others that several measures can be easily taken to prevent heart failure. The more people know, the better they can live more meaningful lives. Debra Crew also wanted to use this event as an opportunity to spread the word about their new program beginning in early March called Heart Failure University.Heart Failure University is hosting a free six-week program presented by Augusta University’s Cardiovascular Center. It is an opportunity to give patients and family valuable knowledge necessary to successfully manage heart failure. It utilizes a holistic multidisciplinary approach that has proven to increase quality of life scores and lower heart failure readmission to the hospital. There will be a group of medical professionals present to help inform patients about fluid management, nutrition, medications, exercise, and coping with heart failure. The classes will be taught by AU Medical Center dietitians, pharmacists, cardiac rehabilitation staff and the hospital chaplain.There will be a Heart Failure Lecture Series event on Friday, March 29, at 10 a.m. The place for the lecture is the Cardiovascular Center, 937 15th St., Augusta. For more information on this program, call 706-721-2426. Contact Morgan Quattlebaum at mquattlebaum@augusta.edu.