Cardiac dilatation, or dilated cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the chambers of the hearts are enlarged, the heart muscle is thin and weak, and the muscle fibers are often in disarray. According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, the leading cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in the United States is ischemic heart disease. Dilated chambers can lead to many complications, and 70 percent of people will die in the first 5 years after symptoms appear.
According to the journal American Family Physician, 40 to 60 percent of patients with congestive heart failure have diastolic heart failure as opposed to systolic heart failure, which means that the heart's ability to refill wi...
Cardiac rehab provides heart patients a safe and encouraging environment in which to begin the journey toward better health following a cardiac event, such as a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation addresses the physical and ps...
Left-sided heart failure occurs when the left side of the heart becomes unable to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. As a result, blood flow backs up into the lungs and other organs, and several symptoms occur. Sym...
Heart failure presents a cluster of symptoms related to the heart's inability to adequately pump blood into the system to meet the body's metabolic demands. Five million Americans, or 2 percent of the population, have heart fa...
According to the National Institutes of Health, digoxin is used to treat mild to moderate heart failure and atrial fibrillation
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, almost always presents as a chronic condition, although sometimes it develops suddenly, according to Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. The heart i...
The classes are enumerated from I through IV, with I being the highest level of functional capacity and IV being the lowest. People with class II heart failure are comfortable and free of heart-related symptoms at rest, but phy...
It can be the result of a heart attack, chronic high blood pressure or structural damage to the valves in the heart. There are four different stages, or classes, of heart failure. Class I is the mildest and Class IV is the most...
When this proves successful, the heart failure is deemed compensated. However, when something occurs that upsets the delicate balance between the heart's compensated level of function and the body's needs, a sudden increase in ...
The heart pumps blood, nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, and heart failure can result in decreased delivery of oxygen-rich blood to other body systems. One system that works in line with the heart is the renal, or kidne...
Common causes of female heart failure include diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and heart valve irregularities. HeartHealthyWomen.org reports that 2.5 million American women have heart failure. Understandin...
The CDC estimates that over 200,000 people are hospitalized as a result of complications from the flu. Priority populations such as the elderly, children, pregnant women and those with chronic conditions, including diabetes, he...
Then the valve closes so that your blood does not flow back or regurgitate into the chamber it just left. If, due to disease or injury, your valves do not function properly, you can develop symptoms to indicate that. It is impo...
The heart is responsible for moving oxygenated blood from the lungs to the body and returning de-oxygenated blood from the body to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Right-sided heart failure is a condition in which this side of th...
Congestive heart failure refers to a crippling disease in which your heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, atherosclerosis (fatty plaque buildup of your blood vessels), hyperten...
Right-sided heart failure can be defined as the right ventricle weakening to the point that blood flow is impaired and the body suffers. Impaired circulation can affect many body systems including the gut, liver, skin and lungs...
Heart failure is a chronic and serious condition. However, with the right treatment you can lead a full and active life. An important part of your care is keeping track of your symptoms. If you are in stage three of heart failu...
In heart failure, the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body declines. Heart failure patients experience symptoms that negatively impact their daily life, which typically results in them being prescribed medicine...
