Patient Information
Understanding Heart Failure
Fed Pract. 2013 March;30(3):43
Heart failure may sound like the heart stops working, but actually it means the heart is having trouble working optimally. The heart's job is to pump blood, carrying oxygen and nutrients, throughout the body. When weak or damaged, the heart can't do its job; the blood flow slows down and fluids begin to build up. That excess fluid backs up into the rest of the body. This condition is called congestive heart failure (CHF).