Question

discuss the narrative and schematic pathophysiology of congestive heart failure

Answer 1

Pathophysiology of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is caused by the reduced heart muscle contractility due to overloaded ventricle. Other reasons of congestive heart failure are pressure and volume overload, primary muscle disease or excessive peripheral demand etc

Due to these reasons the heart may not provide enough blood to tissues for their metabolic needs thereby cause cardiac related increase in systemic and pulmonary venous pressures which may result in organ congestion.

Myocardial infarction( due to reduced oxygen supply to the cardiac muscles), hypertension ( cause accumulation of misfold proteins in the cardiac muscles cause stiffening of muscles) reduces the efficacy of the heart muscle through damage or overloading.

In a healthy heart, increased filling increases the contractility of muscles and thereby increases the cardiac output.

But in a congestive heart, the muscle contractility reduces due to the reduced ability to form cross-links between actin and Myosin filaments of muscle fibers in overstretched heart muscle.

In case of increased physical activity ie, during exercise the heart works harder, the amount cardiac output increases in times of oxygen demand is reduced. This causes exercise intolerance.

In short,

Injury to heart muscles cause loss of function of cardiac myocytes which leads to decreased ability of myocardium to generate force. Reduced cardiac contractility may results in decreased stroke volume and cardiac output.