Heart failure is a serious medical condition in which someone's heart does not work as well as it should, sometimes stopping completely so that they die.
He remained in a critical condition after suffering heart failure.
heart failure in British English
noun
1.
a condition in which the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the tissues, usually resulting in breathlessness, swollen ankles, etc
2.
sudden and permanent cessation of the heartbeat, resulting in death
heart failure in American English
1.
the failure of the heart to beat or to pump blood
2.
the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to maintain an adequate flow to and from the body tissues
Examples of 'heart failure' in a sentence
heart failure
The chemical is produced in the blood after heart failure but is also found in people suffering brain damage.
The Sun (2016)
Heart failure and heart attack are the same thing People sometimes talk about heart failure when they mean heart attack.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In some cases, the method will be used to switch off rogue genes that promote conditions such as heart failure or cancer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Almost a million people in Britain have heart failure, a condition in which heart muscles struggle to pump enough blood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
heart failure
British English: heart failure NOUN
Heart failure is a serious medical condition in which someone's heart does not work as well as it should, sometimes stopping completely so that they die.
He remained in a critical condition after suffering heart failure.