Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body. In some cases, the heart cannot fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can’t send blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some heart failure patients have both problems.

Symptoms of heart failure include exhaustion, shortness of breath, fluid-congested lungs, and the buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs (edema).

Causes of heart failure include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Treatment may include lifestyle changes, medicines and, in some cases, surgery or heart transplant.

Heart failure afflicts more than 5 million people in the United States, more than 1 million hospitalizations and contributes to 300,000 deaths each year. The condition is most common in those who are 65 years and older and is the number one reason older people are hospitalized. Heart failure costs the U.S. healthcare system $30 billion annually.