Heart failure (
HF), often referred to as
congestive heart failure (
CHF), occurs when the
heart is unable to pump sufficiently to maintain
blood flow to meet the body's needs. The terms
chronic heart failure (
CHF) or
congestive cardiac failure (
CCF) are often used interchangeably with congestive heart failure. Signs and symptoms commonly include
shortness of breath,
excessive tiredness, and
leg swelling. The shortness of breath is usually worse with
exercise, while
lying down, and
may wake the person at night. A limited ability to exercise is also a common feature.