Congestive heart failure, or simply heart failure, means that the heart is not pumping blood, and hence, oxygen, through the body as well and as efficiently as it should. It does not mean that the heart literally has failed or stopped beating. The diagnosis of "heart failure" can mean right- or left-sided cardiac failure. However, the most common type involves both sides of the heart. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, CHF is common in the United States, affecting about 5 million people; additionally, around 300,000 people die annually from this disease.
Primary Causes
There can be many factors that lead to congestive heart failure, but the most frequent or primary causes include coronary artery disease, where plaque builds up in blood vessels and reduces blood flow, valvular heart disorders, and high blood pressure. Major causes of CHF also may involve diabetes because high glucose levels end up damaging cardiac vessels (See CHF Image in Resources).
Secondary Causes
Other causes that can lead to congestive heart failure are infection of heart tissue, congenital heart defects or disease, arrhythmias and lung disease. A history of a previous myocardial infarction (heart attack) that damaged the cardiac muscle is another possible source. According to Daniel Kulick, M.D., certain medications can produce or exacerbate heart failure, such as drugs that cause you to retain sodium. Other medications specified by Dr. Kulick include some diabetic medications and steroids, channel blockers (calcium), and the so-called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as motrin, ibuprofen and Aleve.
Other
Other factors of less frequency that may also play a role in the development of CHF include a thyroid disorder, HIV, chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and excess vitamin E. Lastly, a long-standing disease that also may induce CHF is severe and chronic alcoholism.
