Listen to This Information Congestive Heart Failure Overview and
Facts Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure
(CHF), means your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your
body's needs. Over time, conditions such as narrowed arteries in
your heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure
gradually leave your heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump
efficiently. You can't reverse many conditions that lead to
heart failure, but heart failure can often be treated with good
results. Medications can improve the signs and symptoms of heart
failure. Lifestyle changes, such as exercising, reducing the
salt in your diet, managing stress, treating depression, and
especially losing excess weight, can improve your quality of
life. The best way to prevent heart failure is to control risk
factors and conditions that cause heart failure, such as
coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
diabetes or obesity.