What is congestive heart failure ?

Posted by Elizabeth Comeau March 23, 2011 09:59 AM

Hollywood icon and actress Elizabeth Taylor died today in Los Angeles. She was 79 and had congestive heart failure. Just what does that mean?
According to the American Heart Association, congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs.
The condition can result from a past heart attack, high blood pressure, heart defects present at birth, and coronary artery disease.
Heart failure tends to be more prevalent in older people, affecting 1% of people aged 50, about 5% of those aged 75 or older and 25% of those aged 85 years or older.
Doctors can treat congestive heart failure through rest, diet, and medications, but in some cases a heart can become so damaged over time that a person may need a heart transplant.

Sources : WWW.BOSTON.COM