Heart Failure Overview

Heart failure (congestive heart failure) may develop when the heart muscle becomes weakened from years of coronary artery disease. There are two types of heart failure:

• Left-sided heart failure
  Left-sided heart failure occurs when the heart has trouble pumping oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Blood and fluid start accumulating in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.
  
• Right-sided heart failure
  Right-sided heart failure usually results from left-sided heart failure. The heart has trouble pumping blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Fluid starts building up in the feet, ankles, legs, and sometimes the abdomen.

How the heart works

The heart is a muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. The heart, blood vessels, and blood make up the body's cardiovascular system, which helps:

• Bring oxygen and nutrients to the body.
• Remove carbon dioxide and waste products from the body.

The right side of the heart pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, where the blood picks up oxygen. The blood is then returned to the left side of the heart, which pumps the oxygen-rich blood to the body. Each side of the heart has two chambers. The upper chambers are called atria (singular: atrium). The lower chambers are called ventricles. Valves control the flow of blood between the atria and the ventricles.

A heartbeat is a single pulsation of the heart. First the atria contract, then the ventricles contract, and then the entire heart relaxes. The heart's electrical system controls the speed of a person's heartbeat.

About heart disease

Heart disease is a general term for any disorder of the heart and its ability to circulate blood throughout the body. The common types of heart disease include heart failure, angina, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart arrhythmias.

Most types of heart disease are usually caused by atherosclerosis, which is a build up of fatty deposits (plaques) on the inner walls of the blood vessels. If left untreated, the blood vessels narrow and may become blocked, which interferes with the supply of blood throughout the body. Heart disease may also be caused by an infectious disease (such as rheumatic fever due to strep throat) or a congenital heart disease (such as heart obstruction defects present at birth)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability.
• Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. This is 29% of all deaths.
• Approximately half of the heart disease deaths were women.
• The age–adjusted death rates for heart disease were 30% higher among African Americans than among whites.