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Summary
If you have heart failure, your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. To compensate, your body retains water and salt, which increases the amount of blood in circulation. The heart beats faster, and your heart muscle gets bigge...
![According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the most common cause of cardiac arrest, and 95 percent of cardiac arrest patients die before they reach the hospital. That high mortality rate has prompted the placement of portable defibrillators in places such as schools, airplanes, police cars, and in this service plaza along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. [Photograph by Keith Srakocic. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.]](/images/gale/thumb/nwaz_01_img0121_thumb.jpg)
![Chronic stress is a risk factor for heart disease, and acute stress can trigger heart attacks. Regular yoga or other exercise may help prevent both conditions by releasing stress and strengthening the heart muscle. [AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.]](/images/gale/thumb/nwaz_01_img0122_thumb.jpg)
Congestive Heart Failure
Summary
If you have heart failure, your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. To compensate, your body retains water and salt, which increases the amount of blood in circulation. The heart beats faster, and your heart muscle gets bigger, causing your heart to wear out. The extra fluid buildup in your body, called congestion, and the overworked heart lead to congestive heart failure. Common symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing, and swelling due to build up of fluids.
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