[Heart failure: expressions of personal knowledge about the disease].

This qualitative study characterized individuals with heart failure (HF) according to their sociodemographic, health, and treatment profiles and analyzed their knowledge on the disease and its treatment. A total of 42 volunteers with HF were interviewed at a cardiology hospital in São Paulo using a semi-structured questionnaire; the data were subjected to content analysis. The sample comprised mostly males and individuals older than 45 years old; the sample was classified as functional class II with associated comorbidities and was subjected to pharmacological treatment. The type of knowledge exhibited by the sample was illustrative, diagnostic, and explanatory, and many different meanings were attributed to the disease. Most volunteers did not know the names, doses, or frequencies of use of their medications. Non-pharmacological treatment was identified as related to the information provided by the healthcare professionals about nutrition and salt and water intake. The results pave the road for systematic educational interventions that can improve the coping with and management of this disease.