Introduction

 

Heart failure means your heart muscle does not pump as much blood as your body needs. Failure does not mean that your heart has stopped. It means that your heart is not pumping as well as it should.

Because your heart cannot pump well, your body tries to make up for it. To do this:

  • Your body holds on to salt and water. This increases the amount of blood in your bloodstream.
  • Your heart beats faster.
  • Your heart gets bigger.

Your body has an amazing ability to make up for heart failure. It may do such a good job that you don't know you have a disease. But at some point, your body will no longer be able to keep up. Your heart gets worn out. Then fluid starts to build up in your body, and you have symptoms like feeling weak and out of breath.

This fluid buildup is called congestion. It is why some doctors call the disease congestive heart failure.

Heart failure usually gets worse over time. But treatment can slow the disease and help you feel better and live longer.

Latest Heart Failure News
Omega-3s tied to lower risk of heart arrhythmia

February 1, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study of some 3,000 older adults, those with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood were 30 percent less likely to develop an irregular heartbeat over the next 14 years than peers with the lowest blood levels of omega-3s.

Tall? That may be good news for your heart: study

January 19, 2012 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Tall men are less likely than shorter ones to develop heart failure, suggests a new study of U.S. doctors.

Many stent patients get rehospitalized: study

December 23, 2011 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A New York State study of 40,000 patients getting stents inserted to open up blocked arteries found that almost one in six of them were readmitted to the hospital within a month of the procedure, often for heart conditions and chest pain.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health