What causes congestive heart failure? Various conditions can
undermine heart function or worse, cause injury to the heart
components themselves. The end result under all the conditions
is a heart that can no longer perform its duty of pumping blood
properly to the rest of the body. Some conditions can go
undetected, increasing the risk for CHF. The conditions include:
Abnormal heart rhythm - The heart beats too fast, or too slow
(Arrhythmia). The heart muscle becomes overly strained or
weakened, leading to failure. Coronary artery disease or heart
attack – During this type of disease, blood flow is impeded by a
plaque buildup of fatty deposits on arterial walls, depriving
the heart of blood (Atherosclerosis), weakening it. If this
plaque causes the artery to rupture, heart attack occurs. Heart
muscle damage - In this category, there are many contributing
factors that can result in damage to the heart muscle
(cardiomyopathy) such as chemotherapy, drug/alcohol abuse,
thyroid problems, infections, or even diseas