Arrhythmia & Heart Failure
Arrhythmia is a condition where the heart beats out of time: either too fast, too slow or irregularly. Heart failure is a chronic disease in which the heart lacks the strength to adequately pump blood throughout the body, causing fluid to build up in the lungs, ankles and other body parts. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsArrhythmia
Many arrhythmias have no known cause, but coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, ... read more »
Heart Failure
Symptoms of heart failure include regular shortness of breath, swelling in the legs or lower back, and general tiredness. The disease affects roughly 4.6 million Americans and each year 550,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Hospital Web sites often provide quality health information about the conditions they treat. Usually these descriptions contain thorough treatment information, as the content is geared toward prospective patients. One example is the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, which hosts introductory information about congestive heart failure.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an introduction to heart failure …
The Cleveland Clinic
has a quality overview of heart failure, one that puts emphasis on available treatment options. Also noteworthy are the “Learn More” links (scroll down the page to find these), which direct users to articles on topics as diverse as experimental treatments and related conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Web site has a detailed fact sheet on heart failure. Facts include annual deaths (more than 287,000), the number of sufferers nationwide (roughly 5 million), and the estimated annual direct cost for heart failure ($29.6 billion).
For women …
The Cleveland Clinic
hosts the Center for Women and Heart Failure whose “goal is to focus more attention on women in heart failure research so that we can eventually tailor therapy to meet individual needs.” The Web site examines the heart failure issues specific to women as well as causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and the prognosis/outlook for the future.
For information on congestive heart failure …
MedlinePlus
has a series of interactive, narrated tutorial slide shows for a variety of diseases. This 92-slide tutorial on congestive heart failure covers the heart, heart failure overviews, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment options and medications.
For tips on coping with heart failure …
The Cleveland Clinic
offers guidelines for a coping/recovery regimen after being diagnosed with heart failure. Advice includes ways to conserve energy and take care of emotional health as well as how to safely return to work or travel worry free.
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