It is also called heart failure or
chronic heart failure. Congestive heart failure is a
condition that appears when the heart can not pump enough blood to meet the
body's needs.
Congestive heart failure is
usually a chronic condition and can be caused by problems in the heart.
There are two types of congestive heart failure:
• Systolic heart failure, which is produced when the heart muscle cannot
efficiently pump blood out of the heart.
• Diastolic heart failure, that takes place when the heart does not get enough
blood because heart muscles present some degree of stiffness.
The condition develops when blood back up and fluid may build in vital organs
such as lungs and liver or in the abdomen, arms and legs. The condition is named
after this “fluid congestion”.
Several disorders are associated or may be the cause of congestive heart failure. The most
common are:
· Hypertension
· Coronary artery disease
(also known as CAD),
· Cardiomyophathy
· Arrhythmia
· Heart valve problems
· Diabetes
· Infections
· Anemia
· Congenital heart disease
· Heart attack
· Overactive or underactive thyroid
· Excessive iron in the body
· Sarcoidosis