heart failure

heart failure

noun

Definition of HEART FAILURE

1

:  a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume

2

:  cessation of heartbeat :  death

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First Known Use of HEART FAILURE

1894

heart failure

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of HEART FAILURE

1

: a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume—compare angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, coronary failure, heart attack

2

: cessation of heartbeat : death

heart failure

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Inability of one or both sides of the heart to pump enough blood for the body. Causes include pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, and coronary atherosclerosis. A person with left-sided heart failure experiences shortness of breath after exertion, difficulty in breathing while lying down and night breathlessness, and abnormally high pressure in the pulmonary veins. A person with right-sided failure experiences abnormally high pressure in the systemic veins, liver enlargement, and accumulation of fluid in the legs. A person with failure of both ventricles has an enlarged heart and a three-beat heartbeat. Treatment includes bed rest, medications such as digitalis, control of excess salt and water retention, and elimination of the underlying cause. See also congestive heart failure.