Causes of Heart Failure
The most common causes of heart failure are listed below:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)—accounts for nearly 70% of all HF cases.1
- Cardiomyopathy (diseases of the heart muscle).
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).
- Congenital heart disease.
- Exposure to cardiotoxic drugs such as cocaine.
- Excess alcohol consumption.
Although the heart is capable to adapt to short-term changes in preload or afterload, sudden or sustained changes in preload (as in acute mitral regurgitation), afterload (as in severe uncontrolled hypertension) or increased demand (because of severe anemia or hyperthyroidism) may lead to progressive failure of myocardial function. Asymptomatic dysfunction progresses steadily to overt heart failure.
Heart failure due to systolic dysfunction usually develops when the heart cannot contract normally. As a consequence, the amount of blood pumped to the lungs and to the body is reduced, leading to enlargement of the heart, particularly the left ventricle. Heart failure due to diastolic dysfunction develops because of stiffening and thickening of the heart’s walls, leading to incomplete filling of the heart with blood during relaxation of the heart. Consequently, blood backs up in the left atrium and pulmonary (lung) blood vessels and causes pulmonary congestion.
Next page: Symptoms of Heart failure
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: April 15, 2012