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Welcome to Congestive Heart Failure Education and Therapy

How Heart Failure Affects Quality of Life
Heart failure happens when your heart can't pump enough blood to your body. While medical breakthroughs in recent decades have allowed heart attack survivors and other heart-disease patients to live longer, these people may be at risk for developing complications that could require full-time care. How is heart failure treated, and how can heart patients improve their health and increase their chances of survival?
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Featured Content: Heart Highlights
Heart Stats:
  • According to the National Institutes of Health, 5 million Americans have heart failure -- 550,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
  • Heart failure causes 300,000 deaths a year in the United States.
  • According to the American Heart Association, one in 100 people 65 and older will develop heart failure.
  • Among heart attack victims, about 22 percent of males and 46 percent of females will experience heart failure within six years.
  • Heart failure can be treated with rest, oxygen, medication, bypass surgery or diet modification.

Effects of heart failure

More Great Health Articles on HowStuffWorks
How Diuretics Affect Mortality in Heart Failure
Diuretics are used for fluid overload, helping the kidneys remove extra fluid from the body and also helping conditions like edema. Read More
How Diuretics Work
Diuretics are medicines that help rid the body of excess fluid that builds up with some medical conditions.
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How Electrolytes Work
Athletes know that the body loses salt through sweat. It's important for the salt to be replaced to in order to avoid conditions like muscle cramps, which can be associated with salt imbalance. That’s where electrolytes come into play.
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How Fluid Overload and Edema Work
If you have fluid overload, more fluid is going into your body than is coming out. The chief cause of fluid overload is heart failure, a condition in which the heart muscle loses its ability to pump adequately.
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How Fluid Overload Treatment Works
Fluid overload treatment has evolved through the years, from bloodletting to ultrafiltration. Learn more about fluid overload treatment.
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How Heart Failure Medications Work
Among people 65 and older who are admitted to the hospital, heart failure is the most common diagnosis. And because the American population is aging, the number of heart failure diagnoses is increasing every year. Heart failure medication may be able to help. Read More
How Inotropic Drugs Work
Inotropic drugs, which are used to manage various heart conditions, alter the force of your heartbeat. How do they work, and what are some of their side effects? Read More
How Jugular Venous Distension Works
Jugular venous distension can be a sign of heart disease -- it happens when high blood pressure swells your jugular vein. How do doctors diagnose it, and how do they treat it? Read More
How Low-Sodium Diets Work
Sodium is essential to life, but too much of it can cause edema and contribute to high blood pressure. The average American eats almost four times the recommended sodium intake per day. Read More
How Natriuretic Peptides Work
The natriuretic peptides are sometimes called the body's "natural diuretics" because they lower the concentration of sodium in the blood. Read More
How Orthopnea Works
People with orthopnea -- a telltale sign of heart failure -- have trouble breathing when they're lying down. What causes orthopnea? Read More
How Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea Works
You wake up suddenly, gasping for air, coughing and wheezing. It could be paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. What causes it, and how can you treat it? Read More
How Serum Creatinine Works
Creatinine is a chemical molecule that is present in the serum (liquid portion) of the blood. The amount of creatinine produced depends on a person's muscle mass. But how is it measured? Read More
How the EUPHORIA Trial Worked
The EUPHORIA trial was an experimental study to find out if ultrafiltration would work well in heart failure patients with fluid overload and diuretic resistance. Read More
How the RAPID-CHF Study Worked
Researchers designed a clinical study to compare the safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration with that of diuretic drugs. The study was nicknamed the RAPID-CHF study. What were the results? Read More
How the UNLOAD Study Worked
The UNLOAD study compared the safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration with that of diuretic drugs. Learn more about the UNLOAD study. Read More
How Ultrafiltration Works
Ultrafiltration is a medical therapy that removes excess salt and water from the bodies of patients who have a condition called fluid overload. Read More
How Vasodilator Drugs Work
Vasodilator drugs help lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels. How do they work, exactly -- and are there any serious side effects? Read More
Is there a link between heart disease and kidney disease?
Heart disease is more common in people with even mild to moderate kidney disease than in those of the same age and gender without kidney disease. Why is that? And what are the risks? Read More
What are the symptoms of heart failure?
Heart failure is a condition that develops gradually and is the result of a weakening heart that loses its ability to maintain adequate blood flow to tissue and organs in the body. What are the symptoms? Read More
What is the cost of heart failure?
It's estimated that heart failure health care will rise to $35 billion in 2008. What are the factors that contribute to the costs of heart-related health? Read More