8 Major Heartbreakers

Congestive Heart Failure

Illustrated by Echo Medical Media

Cause: The heart stops pumping because the heart muscles have been weakened by a previous attack, virus, or high blood pressure. Diabetes or alcohol consumption often aggravates the situation.

Prevention: Slim down. Weighing more than you should will contribute to your risk for congestive heart failure. Exercise for 30 minutes three times a week, making sure you get your heart rate up.

If untreated: Half the people diagnosed with congestive heart failure die within five years.

Remedies: Exercise, along with medications such as beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, can make a difference.

Cutting edge: Stem cell therapy eventually may lead to treatments for congestive heart failure. Studies also have been done to see whether bone marrow cells can be injected into heart muscle to reinvigorate damaged muscle.