Actress Elizabeth Taylor Dies of Congestive Heart Failure

Famed actress Elizabeth Taylor passed away March 23 at age 79. An Oscar-winner, activist and continual focus of gossip magazines, Taylor had been previously hospitalized at the beginning of February for congestive heart failure. She died surrounded by her family at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

The actress' celebrated life was tinged with tragedy, from the deaths of friends and family to injury and illness. The official cause of Taylor's death, congestive heart failure, or more simply, heart failure, could have been the result of a variety of causes.

According to the American Heart Association, CHF can result from:

-- Narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle

-- A previous heart attack or myocardial infarction, resulting in scar tissue that interferes with the heart muscle's work

-- High blood pressure

-- Heart valve disease caused by rheumatic fever or other causes

-- Disease of the heart muscle itself, known as cardiomyopathy

-- Congenital heart defects

-- An infection of the heart valves and/or heart muscle

Taylor had previously undergone surgery in 2009 to repair what she called "my leaky valve" on her Twitter account (the actress was quite up to date technology-wise--she Tweeted before and after the surgery). According to the American Heart Association, though a heart suffering from CHF will continue to work, it won't be as efficient as it should be, leaving the sufferer out of breath and tired if they overexert themselves.

CHF causes the blood that flows out of the heart to slow and the blood returning to the heart through the veins to back up, which leaves congestion in the tissues. Though the best diagnosis of congestive heart failure should come from your doctor, there are some warning signs you can look out for. These include:

-- Shortness of breath during activity, at rest or while sleeping. You may have problems breathing while lying flat and need to prop up your upper body.

-- Continual coughing or wheezing that may produce white or pink blood-tinged mucus.

-- Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen or weight gain.

-- Tiredness, fatigue; day to day activities seem stressful and tiring.

-- Lack of appetite or nausea.

-- Confusion, memory loss or disorientation.

-- Increased heart rate; you may feel like your heart is racing.

Treatment is largely dependent on the severity of the heart failure. While most treatment involves rest, a good diet, adjusted daily activities and various drug treatments, if the exact cause for the failure is found, it will be treated or, if possible, corrected. However, the heart can also become so damaged that it is impossible to be repaired, in which case more extreme measures may be considered by your doctor.

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Congestive Heart Failure, American Heart Association

Heart Failure, American Heart Association