What Is Preserved Ejection Fraction?...Ejection fraction (EF) measures the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart’s left ventricle each time it beats. The left ventricle is a heart muscle that contracts and relaxes...
What Is a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)?...A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that assists the heart to pump blood from the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart, out to the body in...
What Is Heart Failure?...Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome with physiological signs and symptoms that develop when the heart is not functioning properly. A heart failure diagnosis, according to established guidelines, is...
What Is Ejection Fraction?...There are different types of heart failure. They are classified by which part of the heart is affected and characteristics including symptoms. The heart is a muscle that contracts and...
Digoxin...Digoxin is a type of drug used to treat certain heart problems, including mild to moderate heart failure. Digoxin increases left ventricular ejection fraction and improves heart failure symptoms. Digoxin...
Decompensated Heart Failure...Decompensated heart failure, also called acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), occurs mostly in people with preexisting heart failure, although some cases are patients newly diagnosed with heart failure. ADHF means...
What Is Congestive Heart Failure?...Congestive heart failure (CHF) and chronic heart failure are terms that are both used to describe heart failure (HF). The predominant symptom of heart failure is congestion. Congestion is caused...
Cardiac Catheterization and Stents/Coronary Artery Bypass...Cardiac catheterization is both a diagnostic and procedural technique used to help cardiologists identify how well the heart is working. It is also used to look for certain kinds of...
Heart Transplant...A heart transplant is a major surgery during which a failing, diseased heart is replaced by a healthy donor heart. A heart transplant is the only cure for end-stage heart...
What Is a Heart-Healthy Diet?...A healthy diet has different meanings for different people. A healthy diet can vary based on where in the world you live, any medical conditions or allergies you have, as...
What Does Medicare Cover?...Medicare is the federal health insurance program designed for people in the US who are age 65 or older. It is available to a small group of younger people -...
What Are Types of Heart Failure?...Heart failure (HF) is when the heart no longer functions properly. It leads to symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and body swelling. The symptoms of HF can severely...
Heart Failure Classifications...Heart failure (HF) is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Understanding its stages and classifications can help you get the right diagnosis and treatment. Heart failure can be...
Surgery for Heart Failure...After a heart failure (HF) diagnosis, your doctor will try to find the cause. This can help suggest the right treatment for your situation. Lifestyle changes and medicines are usually...
Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors (ARNIs)...Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs) combine the drugs sacubitril and valsartan to treat heart failure. Valsartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), and sacubitril is a neprilysin inhibitor. ARNIs are...
What Are Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Heart Failure?...A diagnosis of heart failure (HF) can be alarming to patients and family members. If you or someone you care for has been diagnosed with heart failure, there is information...
What Are Pacemakers?...A pacemaker is a small battery-powered device designed to help the heartbeat in a regular rhythm. It is an effective tool in the management of heart rhythm disorders. A healthy...
What Are Left, Right, and Biventricular Heart Failure?...There are two sides to every heart. Sometimes we think of feelings of the heart as being opposites, love and hate, happy and sad. But the structure of the heart...
Implanted/Monitoring Devices...Some people who have an abnormal heart rhythm or a disruption in their electrical impulses need help keeping their heart working right. There are cardiac devices that can help regulate...
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators...An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a cardiac device that is used to prevent sudden death by sending an electrical shock to the heart in people with sustained ventricular tachycardia or...