About Heart Failure

Heart failure is a condition characterized by the heart not pumping blood as well as it should. The body depends on the heart to deliver oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the body’s cells. With heart failure, the heart is unable to supply the cells with enough blood, often resulting in fatigue and shortness of breath, making everyday activities difficult. Specific heart failure types include:

• Reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF): Also referred to as systolic heart failure. In this form of heart failure, the heart muscle loses strength and does not contract normally. Although the chambers of the heart relax normally and fill with blood to normal capacity, the reduced heart muscle strength results in less blood being pumped out when the heart muscle contracts.
• Preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF): Also referred to as diastolic heart failure. In this form of heart failure, the heart muscle contracts normally, but the chambers of the heart do not relax as they should and do not fill with blood to normal capacity. This condition results in less blood being available to be pumped out when the heart muscles contract.