One of the following will be sufficient to cause heart failure but the risk is dramatically increased if more than one factor is present:
- High blood pressure which makes the heart work harder;
- Having a heart attack is likely to damage the heart so that it is no longer able able to pump blood as efficiently as it should;
- Having coronary artery disease is like to limit the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart which will result in a weakened heart muscle;
- Irregular heartbeats can make the heart work harder and may thus weaken the heart muscle;
- Diabetes increases the risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease;
- Sleep apnea (a sleep disorder characterised by pauses in breathing during sleep)- being unable to
breathe properly at night increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and low blood oxygen levels-both of which can weaken the heart;
- Some people who are born with structural heart defects are at risk of developing heart failure in later life;
- The heart muscle can become damaged by a viral infection;
- Excessive use of alcohol can weaken the heart muscle;
- Many kidney conditions can lead to high blood pressure and fluid retention;
