ABOUT HEART FAILURE
Over 25 MILLION LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE WORLDWIDE,
SEVERAL MILLION NEW DIAGNOSES EACH YEAR
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Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped working. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. If you or a loved one have heart failure, you are not alone. Over 25 million people worldwide have this condition with several million new diagnoses per year.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR HEART
The heart is a fist-sized organ that acts as a pump to send oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. In a healthy heart, each chamber contracts (squeezes) in a coordinated effort –
the upper chambers (atria) of the heart contract first, then the lower chambers (ventricles) contract. These coordinated
contractions circulate blood between the lungs and heart and to the rest of the body.
Left
atrium
Right
atrium
Left
ventricle
Right
Ventricle
THE FAILING HEART
During heart failure, the heart attempts to compensate for lost pumping power, and the heart may change its shape and result in an uncoordinated and inefficient heartbeat.
Normal heart
The walls of the heart become thin, and the chambers become enlarged, making the heart weak and inefficient
Heart failure
Heart failure
MAY WORSEN
OVER TIME
EVEN WITH CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TREATMENT
Muscle damage
and/or loss
HEART FAILURE CAUSES
Heart failure is typically a progressive condition, meaning it worsens and shortens life expectancy. There is no single cause, and sometimes the cause is unknown. Some of the most common causes of heart failure are:
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Heart attack
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Coronary artery disease
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High blood pressure
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Defective heart valves
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Heart infection (i.e., virus)
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Alcohol addiction
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Illicit drug use
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Diabetes
HEART FAILURE SYMPTOMS
At first you might not experience any symptoms. However, over time you may experience some, or all, of the following symptoms:
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Chronic lack of energy
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Interrupted sleep at night due to breathing difficulties
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Confusion and/or impaired memory
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Increased urination at night
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Swelling of feet and legs
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Shortness of breath
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Abdominal swelling or tenderness with loss of appetite
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Cough with saliva/mucus
1.Card Fail Rev. 2017 Apr; 3(1): 7–11. doi: 10.15420/cfr.2016:25:2.
2. Blecker S, Agarwal SK, Chang PP, et al. Quality of care for heart failure patients hospitalized for any cause. J Am Col Cardiol. 2014;63(2):123-30.