Definition of heart failure: A complex clinical syndrome of symptoms and signs that suggest impairment of the heart as a pump supporting physiological circulation. “It is caused by structural or functional abnormalities of the heart.”
NICE Clinical Guideline No 106 (September 2018)
Heart failure symptoms usually develop over weeks and months as the heart becomes weaker and less able to pump the blood that your body needs. Heart failure usually results in an enlarged heart (left ventricle).
It is a serious condition which cannot usually be cured but it can be treated. It can cause severe impairment of both physical and social functioning and decreased energy levels. Overall, quality of life in people with heart failure declines markedly as the severity of the disease increases.
For more information on cardiac output and anatomy please see Module 1.
Page last reviewed: 28 Jul 2020
