Contrary to its name, congestive heart failure does not mean the heart has failed completely. It means the heart no longer is able to meet the body's need for blood because it is pumping inefficiently. This inefficient pumping causes blood to back up in the veins leading to the heart, and causes the kidneys to retain fluid. This causes the body's tissues to swell. The swelling, called edema, most commonly affects the legs, but it also can occur in the lungs, causing breathing...
Read moreAs mentioned in a previous post, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Heart Disease, patients with RA have a significantly increased risk of heart... Read more »
Not really. In fact, heart failure is newly diagnosed in more than half a million Americans per year and may be somewhat different for men... Read more »
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is one of the most common reasons for hospital admission in the United States and most Western European... Read more »
Heart failure is usually a chronic disease. That means it's a long-term condition that tends to gradually become worse. By the time someone... Read more »
It's not quite fall, yet already there are two more studies adding to the whole Avandia/Actos/heart risks debate that's been rising... Read more »
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Nearly 290,000 people die from heart failure each year. Nevertheless, although heart failure produces very high mortality rates, treatment advances... Read more »
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Doctors can often make a preliminary diagnosis of heart failure by medical history and careful physical examination.A thorough medical history may... Read more »
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Heart failure is classified into four stages (Stage A through Stage D) that reflect the development and progression of the condition. Treatment... Read more »
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Nearly 6 million Americans are living with heart failure. About 670,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year. Although there has been a... Read more »
Source: ADAM Encyclopedia
Up to half of patients hospitalized for heart failure are back in the hospital within 6 months. Many people return because of lifestyle factors, such... Read more »