Congestive Heart Failure Essay

Etiology & Risk Factors
Congestive Heart Failure can be brought on by many conditions. These conditions include Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Attack, and lastly Cardiomyopathy. Coronary artery disease can develop in humans after years over time after years of fatty deposits in the vascular system (Arteriosclerosis). After a heart attack the heart muscles are weakened and cannot perform the way they could prior to the attack. Therefore, as the muscles lose their pumping ability the heart cannot work to its full potential causing for the heart to fail. Lastly in cardiomyopathy the heart fails because of other risk factors such as drugs, chemotherapy, and infections. Infections such as pericarditis where the pericardial sac becomes infected causes the heart to not pump effectively which leads to Congestive Heart Failure. The risks factors include hypertension, male gender, diabetes, a diet high in fats and a previous heart attack.
Pathophysiological processes
As heart failure develops in the body nueurohormaonal mechanisms stimulate. Epinephrine and Norepinephrine are released by the sympathetic nervous system. After the heart begins to have a decrease in renal perfusion there is a release in renin then the formation of angiotensin I. This is then converted into angiotensin II which makes the blood vessels constrict and activated the release of
These complications can come with the use of diuretics. Hypokalemia can happen with repeated use of diuresis. Hyperkalemia ensues the use of ace inhibitors which lower the blood pressure. As the use of diuretics prolongs there will be s large volume of water lost which causes dehydration. Also with the uses of diuretics hypotension develops because the factors that were making the blood viscous is being controlled. The clinical manifestations are bipedal edema, ascites, jugular vein distention and weight