| Why this is important: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. This can result from a variety of conditions including coronary artery disease, diabetes, past heart attack, hypertension, heart infections, diseases of the heart valves or muscle, and congenital heart defects. Because the heart is not able to work efficiently, blood backs up in the tissues causing edema or swelling. Edema can occur in the legs and ankles as well as in the lungs, where it causes shortness of breath, especially while lying down. Around 5 million people in the United States have heart failure, and more than 287,000 people in the United States die each year with the disease. The estimated direct cost for heart failure in the U.S. in 2006 was $29.6 billion. According to the National Hospital Discharge Survey, hospitalizations for heart failure have increased from 402,000 in 1979 to 1,101,000 in 2004. |
