1.4 Heart Failure

The cardiovascular diseases previously discussed have significant physiological impacts on the human body. For example, the formation of scar tissue can increase the risk of heart failure since the buildup of extra tissue restricts the heart and forces it to work harder to pump blood throughout the body (Ypenburg et al.), as depicted in Figure 6. Arrhythmias are also correlated with heart failure, as they have been observed to aggravate the clinical symptoms and worsen the prognosis of patients with the disease (Swaminathan et al.).

As a person with heart failure attempts to do everyday activities such as walking up a flight of stairs, they may notice shortness of breath since the heart is unable to keep up with the body’s demands (Silverthorn et al.).