Heart Failure and Diuretic-Resistant Fluid Overload - A large and growing clinical problem скачать в хорошем качестве

Heart Failure and Diuretic-Resistant Fluid Overload - A large and growing clinical problem

Heart failure is a progressive disease that results in the heart being unable to pump enough blood and thereby supply oxygen to support other organs in the body. The American Heart Association estimates that 6.5 million adults in the United States age 20 and over are affected by heart failure and that number is expected to rise to 8.0 million adults by 2030. Causes of heart failure include coronary artery disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure and faulty heart valves. Heart failure can disturb the normal functioning of the kidney, weakening its ability to excrete sodium from the body and triggering mechanisms that cause water retention resulting in fluid overload. Patients with heart failure commonly experience shortness of breath, fatigue, difficulty exercising and swelling of the legs. The increase in fluid volume increases the burden on the weakened heart, further exacerbating the problem.