|
Your neck needs to be strong to hold up your head, which may weigh 10 pounds or more.
|
![]() |
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a disorder in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. The term "heart failure" should not be confused with cardiac arrest, a situation in which the heart actually stops beating.
|
|
If you have CHF, it's important to stick with your treatment, even when you're feeling better. You also need to maintain healthy habits.
|
|
Are CHF and CAD the same thing?
Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.
|
|
Heart failure can happen in two ways. The heart muscle may become weak and enlarged (systolic dysfunction). The weakened muscle doesn’t pump enough blood forward when the ventricles contract. Or, the heart muscle may become stiff (diastolic dysfunction). The stiff muscle can’t relax between contractions, which keeps the ventricles from filling with enough blood.
|
|
BNP is a hormone produced by the body when the heart is enlarged. Testing a person's BNP level is an easy and accurate way to help doctors diagnose congestive heart failure.
|