Definition

Noun: - A serious medical condition where the heart cannot pump blood effectively enough to meet the body's needs. This results in symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in the legs and feet.

Usage

• As a subject of a sentence: "Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalization in older adults."
• As an object of a verb: "The doctor diagnosed the patient with congestive heart failure."
• With modifiers: "Severe heart failure requires immediate medical intervention."

Examples

• "After the heart attack, he developed chronic heart failure."
• "Advances in medication have improved the prognosis for many people living with heart failure."
• "The primary symptom of heart failure is often breathlessness during routine activities."

Advanced Usage

• "Congestive heart failure (CHF)": A specific type of heart failure where fluid builds up in the body, causing congestion, especially in the lungs and legs.
  • Example: "Congestive heart failure is managed with diuretics to reduce fluid retention."
• "Left-sided heart failure" / "Right-sided heart failure": Terms specifying which side of the heart is primarily affected, leading to different symptom patterns.
  • Example: "Left-sided heart failure typically causes pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs."

Variants and Related Words

• Cardiac failure: A more formal or clinical synonym for heart failure.
• Heart disease: A broader term encompassing various conditions affecting the heart, which can lead to heart failure.
• Cardiomyopathy: A disease of the heart muscle that is a common cause of heart failure.

Synonyms

• Cardiac failure
• Cardiac insufficiency

Important Note

"Heart failure" does not mean the heart has stopped beating (which is "cardiac arrest"). It specifically refers to the heart's weakened pumping ability. It is a chronic, manageable condition, though it is serious.

Noun

1. inability of the heart to pump enough blood to sustain normal bodily functions