There are various causes of heart failure.
- One of the most frequent causes is a coronary heart disease with calcification of the coronary arteries. The arteries that supply the heart muscle are contracted and an undersupply results. The muscles constantly lose their capacity.
- High blood pressure (hypertension) is the second main cause. The constant overstress wears out the muscles to a certain extent and causes them lose some of their pumping performance.
Further causes of heart failure
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Heart muscle inflammation
- Heart valve defects
- Fluid retention in the heart sac (pericardial effusion)
- Heart muscle diseases caused by abuse of alcohol, drugs or medicine
- Genetic factors
- Diabetes mellitus
- Thyroid dysfunctions
- Pulmonary emphysema
- COPD
A rarer disease is the so-called stress cardiomyopathy; also known as the broken-heart syndrome. After a great shock, respectively after a traumatic experience, a potentially life threatening heart weakness sets in. A permanent heart failure mostly does not occur. It is more common that the function of the pumping organ normalizes again. Neither life expectancy, nor quality of life are reduced.