Information for the public
The condition
The condition
Heart failure means your heart doesn't pump enough blood to meet all the needs of your body. Usually this is because the heart muscle has become damaged. The term 'chronic heart failure' is used to describe heart failure as a long‑term condition. The main symptoms of heart failure are breathlessness (either with exercise or at rest), feeling very tired and ankle swelling.
If you have chronic heart failure, your heart will need some help to do its job. Treatments include: drug treatment; treatment to bring the pumping action of the heart chambers back in time with each other (usually with a pacemaker or sometimes with a defibrillator); surgery, for example, to repair a faulty valve; or a heart transplant.
NICE has looked at using a left ventricular assist device as another treatment option for people with advanced chronic heart failure for whom a heart transplant is not suitable.
NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) and NICE's information for the public about chronic heart failure.