What is heart failure?
What is the basic definition of heart failure?
Inability of the heart to pump blood sufficiently to meet the body’s metabolic needs.
Heart failure is most common in which age group?
Older adults (>65 years).
What happens to cardiac output in heart failure?
It decreases.
What’s the most common cause of left-sided heart failure?
Ischaemic heart disease or myocardial infarction.
What are two classic symptoms of left-sided heart failure?
Dyspnoea and orthopnoea.
What’s the difference between systolic and diastolic heart failure?
Systolic: impaired contraction (↓ EF). Diastolic: impaired relaxation (normal EF).
Is heart failure more common in men or women?
Men (HFrEF), though HFpEF is more common in women.
Which system causes vasoconstriction and fluid retention in heart failure?
The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS).
What’s the most common cause of right-sided heart failure?
Left-sided heart failure.
What symptom improves when sitting up and worsens when lying flat?
Orthopnoea.
What’s the difference between left- and right-sided heart failure?
Left: pulmonary congestion. Right: systemic congestion (oedema, ascites).
What is the most common cause of heart failure in developed countries?
Ischaemic heart disease.
What is “ventricular remodelling”?
Structural change (dilation/hypertrophy) due to chronic stress or injury.
Name two other causes of heart failure.
Hypertension, valvular disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, arrhythmias.
What causes peripheral oedema in heart failure?
Raised venous pressure → increased capillary hydrostatic pressure → fluid leakage.
What is meant by "ejection fraction" and why is it important? double points for the normal range
Percentage of blood ejected per beat; helps distinguish reduced vs preserved function. 50%-75%
Why is heart failure prevalence increasing despite better cardiac care?
More people survive MIs and live long enough to develop HF.
How does sympathetic activation initially help but later harm the heart?
Raises HR and contractility, but increases afterload, oxygen demand, and damage.
Name two modifiable risk factors for heart failure.
Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidaemia.
What is the physiological cause of an S3 heart sound?
Rapid ventricular filling into a dilated ventricle.
True or False: Heart failure always means the heart has stopped working.
False — it means the heart cannot meet demand, not that it has stopped.
What’s the approximate 5-year mortality rate for heart failure?
around 50%
Explain how increased preload can worsen heart failure over time.
Excess volume overstretches myocardium → reduced efficiency and congestion.
How can prolonged tachyarrhythmia cause heart failure?
Reduces filling time → myocardial fatigue → tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.
Name three clinical signs of advanced heart failure.
Elevated JVP, pulmonary crackles, pitting oedema, hepatomegaly, ascites.