Cardiology

Improving models to study the human heart

Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a new method to measure and optimize the maturation process of cultured heart muscle cells, an approach that has the potential to set the future standard for a common cell model ...

Cardiology

The heart grows more in pregnant rats with high blood pressure

The hearts of pregnant rats with high blood pressure increase in size more than rats experiencing a normal pregnancy, according to computer model predictions. The model, developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota, ...

Vaccination

FDA gives nod to RSV vaccine for people in their 50s

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday has for the first time approved the use of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for people in their 50s who are at increased risk for the illness.

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Heart failure (HF) often called congestive heart failure (CHF) is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition is diagnosed with echocardiography and blood tests. Treatment commonly consists of lifestyle measures (such as smoking cessation, light exercise including breathing protocols, decreased salt intake and other dietary changes) and medications, and sometimes devices or even surgery.

Common causes of heart failure include myocardial infarction and other forms of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. The term "heart failure" is sometimes incorrectly used to describe other cardiac-related illnesses, such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) or cardiac arrest, which can cause heart failure but are not equivalent to heart failure.

Heart failure is a common, costly, disabling, and potentially deadly condition. In developed countries, around 2% of adults suffer from heart failure, but in those over the age of 65, this increases to 6–10%.

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