Knowra Heart failure Heart failure Heart failure is a clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot supply blood adequately without elevated filling pressures. It can result from impaired contraction, impaired relaxation, or both.
Ejection fraction : The fraction of blood in a ventricle expelled with each heartbeat. It helps classify heart failure, though preserved ejection fraction does not rule it out.
BNP test : A blood test measuring B-type natriuretic peptide or its precursor, NT-proBNP. These biomarkers help assess suspected heart failure and its severity.
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction : Heart failure in which the left ventricular ejection fraction is reduced, commonly defined as 40% or less. This form features impaired ventricular contraction and has established disease-modifying therapies.
Coronary artery disease : Narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis. Reduced coronary blood flow and prior infarction are major causes of impaired pumping.
Exercise intolerance : Reduced ability to perform physical activity because exertion causes symptoms or abnormal physiological strain. Limited cardiac output and congestion commonly make exertion difficult.
Frank–Starling law : The relationship in which greater ventricular filling increases contraction force within physiological limits. It explains how increased filling can temporarily maintain output while worsening congestion.
Echocardiography : Ultrasound imaging that shows heart structure, motion, and blood flow. It evaluates ventricular function, valves, and other causes of the syndrome.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction : Heart failure with symptoms and signs despite a left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 50%. It shows why a normal-range ejection fraction does not mean normal cardiac function.
Myocardial infarction : Irreversible injury to heart muscle caused by prolonged inadequate blood supply. Muscle lost to infarction can weaken ventricular contraction and trigger remodeling.
Cardiac cachexia : Severe involuntary weight and muscle loss associated with chronic heart failure. Advanced disease can cause wasting through inflammation, poor intake, and metabolic changes.
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