BWH My Health




		Animation: How Cholesterol Works
		Podcast: Women and Cardiovascular Disease
		Webcast: Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement

Kenneth Baughman, MD

What is heart failure?

A common misconception is that heart failure means that the heart will stop beating. Heart failure actually refers to a heart’s inability to pump blood properly.

There are two kinds of heart failure. Systolic heart failure refers to a weakened heart muscle that cannot pump enough blood out with each beat.

More, plus other topics

..First Steps to Heart Health

The good news is that many heart disease risks can be controlled. Use the following quick and easy online assessment tools to find out what your personal risks are and what you can do to minimize them.

	The Coronary Artery Disease Risk Assessment covers the major risks for heart disease and offers advice on controlling them.
	Check out the Adult BMI Calculator to find out whether you have a healthy BMI and then use the Calorie Burn Rate Calculator to find an activity to help you get that BMI back into the healthy zone
	Take the Stress Trigger Assessment and the What Do You Know About Stress Quiz to help you recognize stress symptoms and discover what you can do to lower your stress levels.
	Take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment to find out whether you’re at risk for developing Type 2 (adult) diabetes, a noted risk factor for developing heart disease.