What causes heart failure?
Patients and carers tell us that it’s important to know why they have heart failure because it then puts the diagnosis into context. Heart failure can be caused by current or past medical conditions, which either damage or add extra workload to the heart. If you have (or had) more than one of these conditions, your risk of heart failure is substantially increased. Your doctor should be able to tell you what may have caused your heart failure.
This section lists the different conditions that can cause or trigger heart failure, explaining what each condition is and how it can cause heart failure. Simply click on any of the conditions below to learn more.
Some of the more common causes of heart failure include:
- Past heart attacks
- Coronary artery disease
- High blood pressure
- Heart valve disease
- Heart muscle disease or inflammation of the heart
- Congenital heart defects
- Lung conditions
- Alcohol / drug abuse
In some cases, someone whose body is compensating well for his/her heart failure may develop symptoms if their heart is temporarily unable to keep up with their body’s needs. Conditions that can trigger this type of heart failure include:
- Infection
- Kidney disease / poor kidney function
- Anaemia
- Iron deficiency
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Overactive thyroid gland
If these triggers are treated, heart failure can often get better.
Other conditions, such as diabetes, may aggravate heart failure.
In addition, people with heart failure frequently become symptomatic if they stop taking their medicines or don’t follow their treatment plan properly.
For tips on managing your medicines and following your treatment plan, click here.
For some people the cause of their heart failure is unknown, and they don’t have any of the conditions listed above.
If you are unsure of the cause of your heart failure, you should discuss it with your doctor.
