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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Heart failure

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈhɑːrt ˌfeɪljər/nounCommon term

In medicine, heart failure means: A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should, often causing breathlessness, tiredness and swollen ankles.

In Turkish: kalp yetmezliği

How it is used

Doctors talk about acute or chronic heart failure, its severity (NYHA class) and the ejection fraction on the echo. Common phrases: 'decompensated heart failure', 'heart failure nurse', 'heart failure clinic'.

Example sentences

  1. He was admitted with decompensated heart failure and needed IV diuretics.

  2. Heart failure is a common cause of ankle swelling in older patients.

Common collocations

  • congestive heart failure
  • acute heart failure
  • worsening heart failure
  • heart failure clinic
  • swellingAn increase in the size of a body part, usually caused by fluid, inflammation or injury, such as swollen ankles or a swollen joint.
  • shortness of breathA feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).
  • myocardial infarctionDeath of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery; the medical name for a heart attack.
  • hypertensionBlood pressure that stays higher than normal over time, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease.
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.