Introduction to Congestive Heart Failure

What Causes Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) may be caused by a variety of underlying conditions. The most common causes of CHF in older people is hypertension and coronary artery disease which together account for about 75% of total cases. Other underlying conditions that may precipitate CHF include:

• Valvular heart disease

  • aortic stenosis
  • mitral regurgitation

• Cardiomyopathy - weakness of the heart muscle

• Pericarditis - inflammation of the membrane (pericardium) enclosing the heart

• Arrhythmias - rapid and/or irregular heart beats

  • atrial fibrillation
  • ventricular arrhythmias
  • bradycardia - slower than normal heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute)
  • tachycardia - any type of persistent, rapid heartbeat can lead to heart damage and is called tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.

• Metabolic risk factors

  • anemia - lower than normal red blood cell levels
  • thiamine deficiency - dietary deficiency of vitamin B-1 (thiamine)
  • hyperthyroidism - overactive thyroid gland

• Dietary risk factors

  • too much salt in the diet
  • excessive intake of fluids
  • alcohol abuse
  • certain medications (e.g., calcium channel blockers; nosteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; corticosteroids)