Causes of heart failure

CAUSES OF HEART FAILURE . 

To understand heart disease, it is useful to know how the heart works. Your heart is a pump. It is a muscular organ the size of your fist and placed slightly left of center in the chest. Your heart is divided into right and left. The Division protects oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood "blue blood", to return to the heart after circulating through the body. While cardiovascular disease can refer to many types of heart problems or blood vessel, the term is often used to describe damage to your heart and blood vessels by atherosclerosis (ATH-ur-o-skluh-RO SIS), a building plaques of fatty deposits in arteries. It is a disease that affects the blood vessels. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of the body. Health arteries are flexible and strong.

Over time, however, too much pressure on your arteries can make the walls thick and stiff - sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. This process is called arteriosclerosis, or vascular arteries. Atherosclerosis is the most common disorder. Atherosclerosis is also a major cause of cardiovascular disease and is caused by poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity and smoking. All these are significant risk factors for developing atherosclerosis and, in turn, the heart.

Heart failure can be caused by factors originating in the heart (ie internal disease or disorder) or external factors that pose excessive for the heart. Naturally contain pathological conditions, such as foam cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The external factors that can lead to long-term heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, increased stroke volume (volume load of arterial venous shunts), endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism and pregnancy.

Acute heart failure develops rapidly and can be immediately life-threatening because the heart has no time to engage in compensatory changes. Acute Renal (h / day) can cause heart bypass surgery, acute infections (sepsis), acute myocardial infarction, valvular dysfunction, severe arrhythmias, acute cardiac insufficiency, etc. can often be treated successfully with pharmacological or surgical interventions. chronic heart failure is a chronic disease (month / year), which refers to the heart through the adaptive responses (eg, enlargement, hypertrophy) and the trigger. These adaptive responses, however, can be harmful and detrimental to long-term condition

Any of the following reasons may damage or weaken the heart and can lead to heart failure. Some of these may be present without knowing the coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE .

CHD is the commonest and most common cardiac heart failure. Over time, arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle narrow the accumulation of fatty deposits, a process called atherosclerosis. Blood moves slowly through the small arteries, when some regions of the heart muscle weak and chronically movement of oxygen-rich blood. In some cases, blood flow to muscle is just enough to keep the muscles alive, but does not work very well. Heart attack occurs when plaque formed in the fat deposits in your arteries rupture. This causes a blood clot prevents blood flow to the heart muscle is weakened heart pumping capacity.

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (  PREVIOUS HEART ATTACK ).

A heart attack occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle becomes blocked. The loss of oxygen and nutrients from the damaged heart muscle tissue - part of it essentially " dies". damaged heart tissue does not contract and that weakens the heart's ability to pump blood.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYPERTENSION . 

Blood pressure is the force of blood pumped by the heart into the arteries. If your blood pressure is high, your heart must work harder than it should to circulate blood throughout your body. Over time, the heart muscle may become thicker to compensate for the extra work he has done, enlargement of the heart. Finally, the heart muscle may become too rigid or too weak to pump blood efficiently.

DEFECTIVE HEART VALVES .

The heart valves keep blood flowing in the right direction in the heart. A damaged valve, due to a congenital heart disease or infection of the coronary arteries, the strength of your heart work harder to keep blood flowing as it should. Over time, this extra work can weaken the heart. defective heart valves, however, can be fixed if caught early.

DAMAGE TO THE HEART MUSCLE ( CARDIOMYOPATHY ) . 

Some of the many causes of heart muscle damage, also called cardiomyopathy, infection, alcohol abuse, and the toxic effect of drugs such as cocaine or some chemotherapy drugs. In addition, diseases of the body, such as lupus or thyroid problems can damage the heart muscle.

Although rare, cause of heart failure is unique to women PPC: a weakened heart muscle development during the last three months of pregnancy or during the first five months after delivery.Most cases occur in women aged 30, particularly in Africa - U.S. women. Even if one ignores the causes of this condition, risk factors include multiple pregnancies, multiple births (twins, for example) developed hypertension during pregnancy, and preeclampsia during pregnancy.

MYOCARDITIS . 

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. It is usually caused by a virus and can lead to left heart failure.

CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS .

If your heart and its chambers or valves are not formed correctly, the healthy parts of your heart must work harder to pump blood through your heart, which in turn can lead to heart failure.

ARRHYTHMIAS .

Abnormal heart rhythms can cause your heart to beat too fast. This creates extra work for your heart. Over time, your heart may weaken leading to heart failure. A slow heartbeat may prevent your heart from getting enough blood through the body and can also cause heart failure.

SEVERE LUNG DISEASE .

When the lungs do not function properly, the heart must work harder to get available oxygen to the body.

DIABETES . 

 Diabetes tends to raise cholesterol and triglycerides - unhealthy fats that contribute to heart disease. Diabetics are also more likely to be obese and have high blood pressure. These factors should be carefully monitored and controlled, as it adds extra pressure on the heart and can lead to heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.

OBESITY . 

Obesity is directly increases the risk of developing heart failure, making the heart work harder to deliver blood, because the extra weight. Obesity also contribute to other conditions related to heart failure, such as hypertension and heart failure diabetes.Women are more likely than men to be obese.Heart Study found that each 1 point increase in body mass index (BMI) was associated with a 7% increased risk of heart failure in women and 5% increase men .

ANEMIA .

Anemia, or abnormally low numbers of red blood cells - is made of red blood cells to carry oxygen needed to sustain life in cells of the body. If you do not have enough of these cells, the heart pumps faster moves less red blood cells quickly enough to provide the body need oxygen. Time for an additional charge may cause damage to the heart.

THYROID DISORDERS .

Thyroid disorders such as hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid - Thyroid affects the speed at which your body metabolizes food and other substances. If the thyroid gland is overactive, the body works at a faster pace, and heart can be overworked, adapt to cope with increased demand for oxygen and other nutrients, and increased the speed of accumulation of waste products to be collected from circulating blood and transported to the kidneys, liver and other sites to be treated and eliminated.

OTHER DISEASES .

Chronic diseases such as  lupus, hemokromatoosigeenin and accumulation of muscle proteins (amyloidosis) may also contribute to heart failure. Causes of acute heart failure are viruses that attack the heart muscle from serious infections, allergic reactions, blood clots in the lungs, certain medications or disease that affects the whole body.

lifestyle-related cardiovascular disease in general, may also contribute to heart failure . sometimes not known to be heart failure.