Heart failure can be caused by a variety of diseases that damage the heart and affect its ability to pump. Perhaps the most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, heart attack and diabetes. Poorly controlled high blood pressure, is another common cause of heart failure. Over time, damage caused by these conditions weakens the heart and prevents it from pumping properly.

Diseases of the heart muscle, known as cardiomyopathy, and diseases of the heart valves can also cause heart failure. In some cases, the valves of the heart can be abnormal. The valves may narrow, causing a back up of blood, or they may close improperly causing blood to leak back into the heart.

Other causes include congenital heart problems, such as a birth defect, arrhythmias, which are abnormal heartbeats, and pericardial disease, which affects the tissue surrounding the heart, preventing the ventricles from filling properly. Some thyroid disorders have also been linked to heart failure.

Sometimes a sudden onset of acute heart failure can be triggered by such things as the improper use of medications, a heart attack, blood clots that travel to the lungs, infections, alcohol, and even a high-sodium meal leading to fluid build up.

Finally, the use of illegal drugs, and some types of chemotherapy and radiation treatments can also cause heart failure.