What are the different types of heart failure?
Doctors use many terms to describe heart failure. A major distinction refers to which part of the hearts pumping cycle-systolic or diastolic-is primarily affected. As heart failure advances, however, problems will occur in both parts of the cycle. Systolic heart failure is a problem in the hearts contracting phase. Systolic heart failure is also called heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or HFrEF. It reflects weakness of the left ventricle, which cant pump…
What is heart failure?
Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped pumping. Your heart is still pumping, but not strongly enough to supply your body with all the energy it needs. Heart failure weakens your hearts power to pump. As a result, blood circulates through your heart and body more slowly. Your cells thirst for oxygen and nutrients. Fluid can collect in your lungs and other tissues. …
What is ejection fraction?
Your heart contracts and relaxes about 100,000 times a day. As the heart relaxes between beats, the ventricles fill with blood. When it contracts, it pushes out most of that blood. [IMGCAP(1)] Ejection fraction refers to the percentage or amount of blood in the hearts left ventricle (the lower chamber) that is pumped out with each contraction. …
How does a healthy heart work?
To understand what heart failure is, you first need to know what the healthy heart does.
