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Heart Failure
What causes it?
Heart
failure (HF) is often the direct result of the heart muscle's inability to contract
with enough force to pump blood efficiently. Among the causes of HF are heart
valve disease, scar tissue left from a previous heart attack, and high blood
pressure which has been uncontrolled for long periods.
Coronary artery
disease, in which the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle are narrowed
by plaques (usually from high cholesterol), is the most common cause of HF accounting for 60% of people with the disease. Although
coronary artery disease often starts at an early age, HF occurs most often in the elderly. The majority of these patients are women.
Researchers theorize that this is probably because men are more likely to die
from coronary artery disease before it progresses to HF.
HF is also associated with alcohol abuse and drug abuse, particularly cocaine and amphetamines, which affect heart rate. Among other disorders that can cause HF are hyperthyroidism (or an overactive thyroid), HIV/AIDS, treatment of cancer (such as radiation and certain chemotherapy agents), and various abnormalities of the heart valves. In addition, viral infection or inflammation of the heart, known as myocarditis, or a heart muscle disease called cardiomyopathy can cause HF. There are also rare cases where HF is caused by extreme vitamin deficiencies.
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What causes it?
