Congestive heart failure is best described as?

• A. Failure of heart to pump efficiently, leading to excess blood or fluids in the lungs, body, or both
• B. Infection of heart muscle
• C. Narrowing of arteries due to plaque buildup
• D. Electrical disturbance in the heart's conduction system

Answer: (A)

Congestive heart failure means the heart isn’t pumping blood effectively, so blood backs up and fluid collects in the lungs and/or in the body. This fluid buildup is what causes symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing or crackles in the lungs, leg or abdominal swelling, and fatigue. It’s different from an infection of the heart muscle, which is inflammation rather than a pumping problem; from narrowing of the arteries due to plaque, which limits blood flow; or from electrical problems in the heart’s conduction system, which disrupt rhythms but don’t by themselves describe fluid overload. The essence is reduced pumping and resulting fluid congestion throughout the body.