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Congestive heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to all organs, resulting in fluid retention and pulmonary edema.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way it should.

The weakening of the heart's pumping ability causes

• Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs
• The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs - called edema
• Tiredness and shortness of breath

The leading causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Treatment includes treating the underlying cause of your heart failure, medicines, and heart transplantation if other treatments fail.

Heart failure is a serious condition. About 5 million people in the U.S. have heart failure. It contributes to 300,000 deaths each year.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

From MedlinePlus article on Heart Failure, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartfailure.html

Most people with symptoms of congestive heart failure seek medical care within 24 hours

...ask about

• Alcohol abuse
• Shortness of breath
• Leg swelling

...examine for

• Pulmonary rales
• Abnormal lung sounds
• Heart murmur
• Edema
• Jugular venous distention

...order tests

• Chest x-ray
• Thyroid function test
• Pro-BNP level
• Echocardiogram
• EKG

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