Related Media: Coping with the Challenges of Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart
cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. The term
“heart failure” should not be confused with “heart attack.”
Heart failure occurs after the heart muscle has been damaged or
weakened by another primary cause, such as high blood pressure,
coronary artery disease, or certain kinds of infections.
Depending on the cause, heart failure can occur gradually, over
many years, while the heart tries to compensate for its loss of
function, or it may occur more quickly if a lot of the heart
muscle is damaged at once. Blood Flow Through the Heart
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. It is estimated that 5
million Americans are currently living with CHF. As the US
population ages, and baby boomers are getting older, that number
is expected to climb. Types of CHF CHF occurs when the heart
muscle cannot pump adequate amounts of blood to meet the body’s
needs. When the heart fails to ke