1808NRS-Comprehensive Guide to
Heart Failure: Types, Causes, and
Treatments Questions Ans Answers.
Left-sided heart failure - Answer Occurs when the left ventricle cannot pump blood effectively
to the systemic circulation.
Pulmonary congestion - Answer Blood backs up into the lungs causing pulmonary congestion.
Key characteristics of left-sided heart failure - Answer Shortness of breath (dyspnoea),
Orthopnoea, Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, Fatigue and poor exercise tolerance, Pulmonary
oedema.
Right-sided heart failure - Answer Occurs when the right ventricle cannot pump blood
effectively to the lungs.
Key characteristics of right-sided heart failure - Answer Peripheral oedema, Swollen ankles and
legs, Ascites, Jugular venous distension, Fluid retention.
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) - Answer Known as systolic heart failure.
Key characteristics of HFrEF - Answer Reduced contractility, Reduced cardiac output, Ejection
fraction usually less than 40%.
Heart failure with preserved ejection (HFpEF) - Answer Diastolic heart failure.
Key characteristics of HFpEF - Answer Impaired ventricular filling, Normal or near normal
ejection fraction, Reduced ventricular compliance.
Acute heart failure - Answer Develops suddenly, often due to myocardial infarction or severe
hypertension.
Key characteristics of acute heart failure - Answer Rapid onset, Severe shortness of breath,
Pulmonary oedema, Medical emergency.
Chronic heart failure - Answer Develops gradually over time and progressively worsens.
, Key characteristics of chronic heart failure - Answer Long term decline in cardiac function,
Ongoing fluid retention, Fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance.
Coronary artery disease - Answer Reduced blood flow causes myocardial ischaemia and
damage to cardiac muscle, impairing cardiac function.
Hypertension - Answer Increases afterload, forcing the heart to work harder and leading to
hypertrophy and heart failure.
Diabetes Mellitus - Answer Diabetes contributes to vascular damage and increases the risk of
coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy - Answer Disease of the heart muscle weakens contractility and reduces
cardiac function.
Congenital heart defects - Answer Structural abnormalities present at birth may impair cardiac
function and circulation.
Heart valve disease - Answer Valve abnormalities impair normal blood flow and increase
cardiac workload.
Consequences of heart failure - Answer Increased mortality and death, End organ damage,
Arrhythmias, Ascites, Reduced tissue perfusion.
Initial Cardiac Injury - Answer Heart failure commonly begins with myocardial infarction,
hypertension, valve disease, or cardiomyopathy.
Reduced Cardiac Output - Answer Damage to the heart reduces the amount of blood pumped
to tissues and organs.
Activation of Compensatory Mechanisms - Answer The body activates mechanisms to
maintain cardiac output and blood pressure.
Sympathetic Nervous System Activation - Answer Adrenaline and noradrenaline stimulate β1-
adrenergic receptors in the heart.
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) - Answer Reduced renal perfusion stimulates
renin release, leading to angiotensin II and aldosterone production.
Heart Failure: Types, Causes, and
Treatments Questions Ans Answers.
Left-sided heart failure - Answer Occurs when the left ventricle cannot pump blood effectively
to the systemic circulation.
Pulmonary congestion - Answer Blood backs up into the lungs causing pulmonary congestion.
Key characteristics of left-sided heart failure - Answer Shortness of breath (dyspnoea),
Orthopnoea, Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, Fatigue and poor exercise tolerance, Pulmonary
oedema.
Right-sided heart failure - Answer Occurs when the right ventricle cannot pump blood
effectively to the lungs.
Key characteristics of right-sided heart failure - Answer Peripheral oedema, Swollen ankles and
legs, Ascites, Jugular venous distension, Fluid retention.
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) - Answer Known as systolic heart failure.
Key characteristics of HFrEF - Answer Reduced contractility, Reduced cardiac output, Ejection
fraction usually less than 40%.
Heart failure with preserved ejection (HFpEF) - Answer Diastolic heart failure.
Key characteristics of HFpEF - Answer Impaired ventricular filling, Normal or near normal
ejection fraction, Reduced ventricular compliance.
Acute heart failure - Answer Develops suddenly, often due to myocardial infarction or severe
hypertension.
Key characteristics of acute heart failure - Answer Rapid onset, Severe shortness of breath,
Pulmonary oedema, Medical emergency.
Chronic heart failure - Answer Develops gradually over time and progressively worsens.
, Key characteristics of chronic heart failure - Answer Long term decline in cardiac function,
Ongoing fluid retention, Fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance.
Coronary artery disease - Answer Reduced blood flow causes myocardial ischaemia and
damage to cardiac muscle, impairing cardiac function.
Hypertension - Answer Increases afterload, forcing the heart to work harder and leading to
hypertrophy and heart failure.
Diabetes Mellitus - Answer Diabetes contributes to vascular damage and increases the risk of
coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy - Answer Disease of the heart muscle weakens contractility and reduces
cardiac function.
Congenital heart defects - Answer Structural abnormalities present at birth may impair cardiac
function and circulation.
Heart valve disease - Answer Valve abnormalities impair normal blood flow and increase
cardiac workload.
Consequences of heart failure - Answer Increased mortality and death, End organ damage,
Arrhythmias, Ascites, Reduced tissue perfusion.
Initial Cardiac Injury - Answer Heart failure commonly begins with myocardial infarction,
hypertension, valve disease, or cardiomyopathy.
Reduced Cardiac Output - Answer Damage to the heart reduces the amount of blood pumped
to tissues and organs.
Activation of Compensatory Mechanisms - Answer The body activates mechanisms to
maintain cardiac output and blood pressure.
Sympathetic Nervous System Activation - Answer Adrenaline and noradrenaline stimulate β1-
adrenergic receptors in the heart.
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) - Answer Reduced renal perfusion stimulates
renin release, leading to angiotensin II and aldosterone production.
