Heart failure is condition where the heart fails to pump forward sufficient blood to meet the body's demands. Blood backs into and congests the lungs, causing shortness of breath, and backs into the veins throughout the body, causing swelling. . It's in end-stage heart failure where medication alone no longer controls symptoms, that consideration is given to a heart transplant or to the use of a ventricular assist device (VAD). Here we see a ventricular assist device implanted on a real human heart. The VAD assists the heart by aiding the cardiac ventricles in pumping blood to the rest of the body. . The leading cause of heart failure is ischemic heart disease, or heart disease from lack of blood flow due to atherosclerosis. This image represents an extreme case of what we try to prevent with diet and exercise. Take care of your heart ♥️, and it will take care of you 💪