Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's other organs. The heart keeps working but it does not work as efficiently as it should. As a result, the body’s needs for oxygen and nutrients are not met.

As blood moves through the heart and body less efficiently, pressure in the heart increases. The heart’s chambers stretch to hold more blood to pump throughout the body. Over time the heart muscle walls weaken and cannot pump as strongly. The kidneys often respond by causing the body to retain fluid or water and sodium (salt). The fluid builds up in the arms, legs, feet, ankles, lungs or other organs and causes swelling. The body becomes congested.

Facts About Congestive Heart Failure in the United States

Approximately 5 million people have CHF There are about 550,000 new cases of CHF diagnosed every year Over 287,000 people die each year from CHF CHF is the leading cause of hospitalization for people over 65

Warning signs

Common symptoms of heart failure include the following:

• Shortness of breath during mild or usual daily activities
• Trouble breathing when lying down
• Tired, run-down feeling
• Swelling in feet, ankles and legs
• Weight gain from fluid buildup
• Confusion or trouble thinking clearly

Risk factors

The following factors are indicative of your risk for CHF:

• Coronary artery disease
• Heart attack
• Damage to heart muscle
• Heart defect present since birth
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Being overweight

Find out your risk for CHF.

Diagnosis and screening

Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and blood tests are all tools for identifying CHF. Life Line Screening offers a disease risk assessment screening, called Know Your Number,  which predicts your risk of developing CHF over the next 5 years.

Learn more about how Know Your Number can help you understand your risk for CHF and other diseases, and most important, what you can do to reduce your risks.

Interested in learning more about CHF? Read our FAQs.