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Definition

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body's tissues. With too little blood being delivered, the organs and other tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly.

Description

According to the American Heart Association, about4.9 million Americans are living with congestive heart failure. Of these, 2.5 million are males and 2.4 million are females. Ten people out of every 1,000 people over age 65 have this condition. There are about 400,000 new cases each year.

Heart failure happens when a disease affects the heart's ability to deliver enough blood to the body's tissues. Often, a person with heart failure may have a buildup of fluid in the tissues, called edema. Heart failure with this kind of fluid buildup is called congestive heart failure. Where...