What is heart failure?
The heart pumps blood to all parts of your body. Your heartbeat is the heart’s pump, moving blood throughout your body. Heart failure means your heart is not pumping as well as it should. Heart failure does not mean your heart will stop working, but it does mean you need to seek treatment soon.
Heart failure can affect the heart’s left side, right side, or both sides. It usually affects the left side which is responsible for pumping blood to the body.
The Ejection Fraction is an important measurement used to identify how much blood is pumped to the body from the left side with each heart beat.
When heart failure is diagnosed there are many terms used to describe it, such as:
- Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF)
- Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)
Once a diagnosis is made, you and your health care team work together to decide the treatment that is best for you.
Do I have any heart failure symptoms?
Take this quiz to learn if you are at risk for heart failure.
Why does heart failure happen?
The two most common causes of heart failure are:
- Blockage in a heart artery leading to heart attack and/or damaged heart muscle. Many factors increase the risk for these blockages, like:
- Smoking
- High cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Age
- Family history
- Having high blood pressure for a long time, which overworks the heart muscle and makes it stiff.
Other causes of heart failure
- Some infections
- Some cancer treatments
- Other diseases, such as amyloidosis
- Many years of drinking too much alcohol
- Valves in your heart that do not open and close correctly
- Pregnancy (rare)
- Problems in the heart’s electrical system — making the heart beat too fast or too slow
How can I lower my risk for heart failure?
- Take your medicines every day as prescribed
- Eat a low salt, heart-healthy diet
- Get moving daily
- Quit smoking - Don’t use tobacco of any kind
- Avoid alcohol
- Weigh yourself every day
- Keep a daily record of your weight and symptoms
- Manage your stress
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use
Drinking alcohol and using tobacco can harm your heart. No amount of alcohol is considered safe for the heart. If you do drink alcohol, please speak to your health care team.
If you smoke, chew, or vape tobacco or marijuana products, it is important to stop. There are different ways to help you quit. This may include medications, quit smoking programs, and/or working with a counselor or support group. Speak to your health care teams about options for stopping tobacco or marijuana use.