Maryland Heart Center
Heart Failure
What is Heart Failure? | Causes & Risk
Factors | Signs & Symptoms | How
is it Diagnosed? | Standard Treatments
| New/Experimental Treatments
Causes & Risk Factors
Heart failure has many causes and can evolve in different ways. It can be a
direct, last-stage result of heart damage from one or more of several heart
or circulation diseases. It can occur over time as the heart tries to compensate
for abnormalities caused by these conditions, a condition called remodeling.
In all cases, the weaker pumping action of the heart means that less blood
is sent to the kidneys. The kidneys respond by retaining water and salt. This
in turn increases edema (fluid buildup) in the body, which causes widespread
damage.
The most common causes of heart failure are hypertension
(high blood pressure) and coronary
artery disease. Here's more information on these and other common causes
of heart failure:
- High Blood Pressure: Uncontrolled high blood pressure, or hypertension,
can cause a heart attack but it is also a major cause of heart failure even
in the absence of an attack. In fact, about 75 percent of cases of heart failure
start with hypertension.
- Coronary Artery Disease: Coronary artery disease is the end result
of a complex process called atherosclerosis (commonly called "hardening
of the arteries"). It is the most common cause of heart attack and involves
the buildup of unhealthy cholesterol on the arteries, with inflammation and
injury in the cells of the blood vessels. The arteries narrow and become brittle
and subject to damage. Heart failure in such cases most often results from
a localized pumping defect in the left side of the heart.
- Damage after a Heart Attack: People now often survive heart attacks,
but eventually many develop heart failure from the physical damage done to
the heart muscles by the attack. So ironically, heart attack recovery is probably
one of the major factors in the dramatic increase in heart failure cases over
the past decade.
- Valvular Heart Disease: The valves of the heart control the flow
of blood leaving and entering the heart. Abnormalities can lead to heart failure.
In the past, rheumatic fever, which scars the heart valves and prevents them
from closing, was a major cause of death from heart failure. Fortunately,
antibiotics have relegated this disease to a minor cause of heart failure.
Birth defects may also cause abnormal valvular development.
- Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle may occur because
of viral infections or other causes. Often the cause is unknown. This can
lead to poor heart function. These may improve with time, but the outcome
is variable.
Other risk factors include:
- Congenital heart diseases
- Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Family history of heart failure
- Excess alcohol consumption
- A diet high in salt
Please call if you would like to make an
appointment or talk to someone about our services. Patients dial 1-800-492-5538
or 410-328-5842, physicians dial 410-328-6622 or 1-800-318-1019.
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