Illustration copyright 2003 Nucleus
Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle does
not pump as much blood as the body needs. Failure does
not mean that the heart has stopped pumping but rather that it is
failing to pump as effectively as it should.
The body tries to compensate for the heart's reduced pumping ability
by:
- Holding on to (retaining) salt and water to increase the amount
of blood in the bloodstream.
- Increasing the heart
rate.
- Increasing the size of the heart.
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology |
|
Last Revised
|
April 26, 2012 |
Last Revised:
April 26, 2012
Author:
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology