Which statement best describes congestive heart failure?

Which statement best describes congestive heart failure?

• A. The heart pumps blood less efficiently, due to poor pumping or filling.
• B. It is an acute infection of the heart valves.
• C. It is caused only by high blood pressure.
• D. It refers to a temporary spike in heart rate during exercise.

Answer: (A)

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, either because it can’t contract effectively (poor pumping) or because it can’t fill properly (impaired filling). This reduces overall cardiac output and leads to fluid congestion in the lungs, abdomen, and extremities. The statement that best fits this idea is that the heart pumps blood less efficiently, due to poor pumping or filling. It captures both types of dysfunction that produce CHF: systolic failure (weak pumping) and diastolic failure (impaired filling). The other descriptions don’t describe CHF: an acute infection of the heart valves is endocarditis, not heart failure. CHF isn’t caused only by high blood pressure—hypertension is a common risk factor but not the sole cause. A temporary spike in heart rate during exercise is a normal physiological response, not congestive heart failure.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, either because it can’t contract effectively (poor pumping) or because it can’t fill properly (impaired filling). This reduces overall cardiac output and leads to fluid congestion in the lungs, abdomen, and extremities.

The statement that best fits this idea is that the heart pumps blood less efficiently, due to poor pumping or filling. It captures both types of dysfunction that produce CHF: systolic failure (weak pumping) and diastolic failure (impaired filling).

The other descriptions don’t describe CHF: an acute infection of the heart valves is endocarditis, not heart failure. CHF isn’t caused only by high blood pressure—hypertension is a common risk factor but not the sole cause. A temporary spike in heart rate during exercise is a normal physiological response, not congestive heart failure.