An often-misunderstood condition, heart failure is a relentless,chronic, progressive condition in which a weakened or damaged heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. 

People are not “in” or “out” of heart failure – heart failure is always present, but its symptoms may be better controlled or worse at times.

Heart failure is not a heart attack and does not mean that the heart has stopped or is about to stop. With heart failure, the heart still beats, but it cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. As a result, people with heart failure feel tired or weak.

Heart failure can also cause swelling and fluid buildup in the legs, feet, abdomen, and lungs.

Heart failure is sometimes called “congestive heart failure” (CHF), since this fluid buildup produces symptoms of “congestion in the lungs.”

If heart failure is left untreated, the damaged heart has to work even harder and becomes weaker and, therefore, the condition may worsen.

Unfortunately, many people with heart failure are not aware that they have the condition, as some of the most common symptoms are often mistaken for normal signs of aging. Heart failure frequently goes unnoticed for so long that patients who experience acute shortness of breath, and gasping for breath, go to the emergency room where they are finally diagnosed.

It is important for patients and their caregivers to understand that an acute episode can often be prevented by detecting worsening heart failure symptoms early, monitoring symptoms on a daily basis, seeking immediate medical treatment, and learning how to proactively manage their condition.

Heart failure affects approximately 5 million Americans and contributes to or causes about 300,000 deaths per year. 

The leading causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

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