'''Hartversaking''', dikwels ook '''kongestiewe hartversaking''' genoem, vind plaas wanneer die [[hart]] nie meer doeltreffend genoeg pomp om die nodige [[bloed]]vloei te handhaaf nie.<ref>{{DorlandsDict|four/000047501|heart failure}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Heart failure |date=23 December 2009 |work=Health Information |id=DS00061 |publisher=Mayo Clinic |url=http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061 |deadurl=nourl-status-live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113184520/http://mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061 |archivedate=13 Januarie 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of Heart failure |date=27 April 2011 |work=Medical Dictionary |publisher=MedicineNet |url=http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3672 |deadurl=nourl-status-live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208145452/http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3672 |archivedate=8 Desember 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Tekens en simptome sluit gewoonlik kortasemheid, oormatige moegheid en beenswelling in.<ref name=NICEChp1/> Die kortasemheid is gewoonlik erger tydens oefening en wanneer gelê word, en die persoon kan snags wakker word daarvan.<ref name=NICEChp1>{{cite journal|title=Chronic Heart Failure: National Clinical Guideline for Diagnosis and Management in Primary and Secondary Care: Partial Update|journal=National Clinical Guideline Centre|date=Augustus 2010|pages=19–24|pmid=22741186}}</ref> Borspyn, insluitende [[angina]], kom nie gewoonlik voor weens hartversaking nie.<ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Connor|first1=Christopher M.|title=Managing Acute Decompensated Heart Failure a Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment.|date=2005|publisher=Informa Healthcare|location=London|isbn=9780203421345|page=572|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5oB0Dyoj1IC&pg=PA572|deadurl=nourl-status-live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906120901/https://books.google.com/books?id=b5oB0Dyoj1IC&pg=PA572|archivedate=6 September 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
== Oorsake ==
Algemene oorsake van hartversaking sluit in kroonslagaarsiektes (onder meer ’n vorige [[hartaanval]]), [[hipertensie|hoë bloeddruk]], [[atriale fibrillasie]], hartklepaandoening, ’n oormaat [[alkohol]]verbruik, [[infeksie]] en kardiomiopatie met ’n onbekende oorsaak.<ref name=NICEChp1/><ref name=Lancet2005>{{cite journal |vauthors=McMurray JJ, Pfeffer MA |title=Heart failure |journal=Lancet |volume=365 |issue=9474 |pages=1877–89 |year=2005 |pmid=15924986 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66621-4 }}</ref> Hulle veroorsaak hartversaking deur óf die struktuur óf die werking van die hart te verander.<ref name=NICEChp1/>
Daar is twee soorte hartversaking, na gelang van wat aangetas is: die vermoë van die linkerhartkamer om saam te trek of die hart se vermoë om te ontspan.<ref name=NICEChp1/> Die erns van die siekte word gewoonlik bepaal deur die graad van probleme met oefening.<ref name=NICEChp4/> Hartversaking is nie dieselfde as hartspierinfarksie (waar ’n deel van die hartspier doodgaan) of hartstilstand (waar die bloedvloei heeltemal ophou) nie.<ref>{{cite book|title=Willard & Spackman's occupational therapy.|date=2014|publisher=Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|location=Philadelphia|isbn=9781451110807|page=1124|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLh3h6v5O_0C&pg=PA1124|edition=12th|deadurl=nourl-status-live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825141207/https://books.google.com/books?id=zLh3h6v5O_0C&pg=PA1124|archivedate=25 Augustus 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Cardiac Care Unit Survival Guide|date=2012|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=9781451177466|page=98|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvkUJZCoi2EC&pg=PA98|author=Eyal Herzog|deadurl=nourl-status-live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826074301/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvkUJZCoi2EC&pg=PA98|archivedate=26 Augustus 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Ander siektes wat soortgelyke simptome kan hê, is [[obesiteit]], [[nier]]versaking, [[lewer]]probleme, [[bloedarmoede]] en [[skildkier]]siekte.<ref name=NICEChp4>{{cite journal|title=Chronic Heart Failure: National Clinical Guideline for Diagnosis and Management in Primary and Secondary Care: Partial Update|journal=National Clinical Guideline Centre|date=Augustus 2010|pages=38–70|pmid=22741186}}</ref>
