Conditions & Diseases: Cardiovascular System

Congestive Heart Failure

See Also:
Congestive Heart Failure: Introduction & Overview
Congestive Heart Failure: Types
Congestive Heart Failure: Causes & Risk Factors
Congestive Heart Failure: Signs & Symptoms
Congestive Heart Failure: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Congestive Heart Failure: Treatment & Prevention Options

Causes & Risk Factors

Causes:

The causes for Congestive Heart Failure are:

1. Weakened heart muscle.

2. Damaged heart valves.

3. Blocking of blood vessels supplying the heart muscle (coronary arteries).

4. Alcohol and drug abuse.

5. Hypertension results in thickening of the heart muscle leading to left ventricular hypertrophy.

6. Pericardial disease such as pericardial effusion (It is a collection of fluid around the heart in the space between the heart muscle and the thick layer of pericardium surrounding heart) and thickened pericardium does not permit the heart to fill properly.

7. Congenital heart disease prolonged arrhythmia .

Certain lifestyles and habits can also cause congestive heart failure and they include:

1. Smoking

2. Obesity and lack of activity leads to hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) which may contribute directly or indirectly to CHF.

3. Uncontrolled hypertension damages the heart and blood vessels (5).

Risk Factors:

Risk factors for Congestive Heart Failure include:

1. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

2. Previous heart attacks

3. Hypertension

4. Irregular heart beat (Arrhythmia)

5. Heart valve disease such as that of aortic and mitral valve

6. Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle)

7. Congenital heart defects (9).

See Also:
Congestive Heart Failure: Introduction & Overview
Congestive Heart Failure: Types
Congestive Heart Failure: Causes & Risk Factors
Congestive Heart Failure: Signs & Symptoms
Congestive Heart Failure: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Congestive Heart Failure: Treatment & Prevention Options

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com