When cholesterol and fatty deposits build up in the heart's arteries, less blood can reach the heart muscle. This build-up is known as atherosclerosis. The result may be chest pain (angina) or, if blood flow becomes totally obstructed, a heart attack. Coronary artery disease can also contribute to having high blood pressure which, over time, may lead to heart failure.

Learn more about atherosclerosis.
Learn more about coronary artery disease.

When cholesterol and fatty deposits build up in the heart's arteries, less blood can reach the heart muscle. This build-up is known as atherosclerosis. The result may be chest pain (angina) or, if blood flow becomes totally obstructed, a heart attack. Coronary artery disease can also contribute to having high blood pressure which, over time, may lead to heart failure.

Learn more about atherosclerosis.
Learn more about coronary artery disease.

A heart attack occurs when an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle gets blocked. The loss of oxygen and nutrients damages the heart's muscle tissue – part of it essentially "dies." The damaged heart tissue does not contract as well which weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood.

Learn more about heart attacks.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of developing heart failure by two to three times. When pressure in the blood vessels is too high, the heart has to pump harder than normal to keep the blood circulating. This takes a toll on the heart, and over time the chambers get larger and weaker.

Learn more about high blood pressure or hypertension.

Heart valve problems can result from disease, infection (endocarditis) or a defect present at birth. When the valves don't open or close completely during each heartbeat, the heart muscle has to pump harder to keep the blood moving. If the workload becomes too great, heart failure results.

Learn more about heart valves.

Any damage to the heart muscle — whether because of side effects from medication or drug and alcohol use, viral infections or unknown reasons — increases the risk of heart failure.

Learn more about cardiomyopathy.

If the heart and its chambers don't form correctly, the healthy parts have to work harder to make up for it.

Learn more about congenital heart disease.

When the lungs don't work properly, the heart has to work harder to get available oxygen to the rest of the body.

Diabetes increases the risk for developing heart failure. People with diabetes tend to develop hypertension and atherosclerosis from elevated lipid levels in the blood — both of which have been linked to heart failure.
Learn more about diabetes and heart disease.

Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder in which tissues in the throat collapse and block the airway. Pauses in breathing can contribute to severe fatigue during the day, increase your safety risks, and make it difficult to perform tasks that require alertness. Sleep apnea is an important risk factor for developing high blood pressure and has been linked to the development of heart failure, diabetes and stroke.

Learn more about sleep apnea.