CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS     DIAGNOSIS     TREATMENT     PRINT

Congestive heart failure is a clinical syndrome that develops from the hearts in ability to fill or eject with blood at any rate commensurate with the requirement of metabolizing tissues.

The most common underlying causes of congestive heart failure are:

• Coronary artery disease in the United States in Western Europe this is responsible for up to three fourths of all cases

• Cardiomyopathys or disorders of the myocardium (heart muscle)

• Valvular heart disease

• Hypertensive heart disease  or heart disease due to uncontrolled hypertension

• Congenital heart disease

In patients with underlying heart disease acute episodes of congestive heart failure may be initiated by any of the following causes.  It is important that these conditions are identified and treated.  These include:

• Infections such as pneumonias

• Arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation

• Dietary, physical and emotional excesses such as excessive salt or alcohol intake

• Myocardial infarction or a heart attack

• Pulmonary embolism

• Anemia

• Thyrotoxicosis or excessive thyroid hormone levels

• Pregnancy

• Worsening hypertension 

• Acute myocarditis or an infection of the heart muscle

• Endocarditis

Abraham Salacata, MD, FACC