What is Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) -- Inability
of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically, failure of
the heart to pump blood with normal efficiency. When this occurs, the heart is
unable to provide adequate blood flow to other organs such as the brain, liver
and kidneys.
Heart failure sounds frightening because it sounds
like the heart just stops working. Do not be discouraged by the term heart
failure-the heart has not stopped beating or pumping. Heart failure means the tissues
of the body are temporarily not receiving enough blood and oxygen. With
advancements in diagnosis and therapy for heart failure, patients are feeling
better and living longer.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is generally
classified as systolic or diastolic heart failure and becomes progressively
more common with increasing age.
Systolic heart failure: The pumping action of the
heart is reduced or weakened. A common clinical measurement is the ejection
fraction (EF). The ejection fraction is a calculation of how much blood is
ejected out of the left ventricle (stroke volume), divided by the maximum
volume remaining in the left ventricle at the end of diastole or relaxation
phase. A normal ejection fraction is greater than 50%. Systolic heart failure
has a decreased ejection fraction of less than 50%.
Diastolic heart failure: The heart can contract
normally but is stiff, or less compliant, when it is relaxing and filling with
blood. This impedes blood filling into the heart and produces backup into the
lungs and CHF symptoms. Diastolic heart failure is more common in patients
older than 75 years, especially in women with high blood pressure. In diastolic
heart failure, the ejection fraction is normal.
What causes it?
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