Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn't pump as much blood as your body needs. In time, this causes fluid to build up in your body, and you have symptoms like swelling in the legs and feeling out of breath and weak.
Heart failure usually gets worse over time. But treatment can slow the disease and help you feel better and live longer.
Current as of:
December 6, 2017
Author:
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Rakesh K. Pai, MD - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology