Congestive heart failure:Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with failure of the heart to pumpbloodwith normal efficiency. When this occurs, the heart is unable to provide adequate blood flow to other organs, such as thebrain, liver, and kidneys. Abbreviated CHF.CHFmay be due to failure of the right orleft ventricle, or both. The symptoms can includeshortness of breath(dyspnea), asthma due to the heart (cardiacasthma), pooling of blood (stasis)inthe general body (systemic)circulationor in the liver's (portal) circulation, swelling (edema), blueness or duskiness (cyanosis), and enlargement (hypertrophy) of the heart. The many causes of CHF include coronary artery disease leading to heart attacks andheart muscle(myocardium) weakness;primaryheartmuscleweakness fromviralinfections or toxins, such as prolongedalcoholexposure; heart valve disease causing heart muscle weakness due to too much leaking of blood or causing heart muscle stiffness from a blocked valve; hyperthyroidism; and high blood pressure.
