ABSTRACT
Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood.1 The classic symptoms of heart failure are fatigue and dyspnea, which serve to limit exercise tolerance. In addition, the cardinal sign of heart failure is fluid retention, leading to congestion of the lungs and edema of the abdomen or extremities. There are many causes of heart failure, including disorders of the myocardium (the focus of this textbook), as well as abnormalities of the pericardium, endocardium, valves, or great vessels. The lifetime risk of developing heart failure is 20% in both men and women; this risk changes with age and time.2
