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Causes of Heart Failure in Cardiology

In cardiology, heart failure is most commonly the end result of ischemic (atherosclerotic) heart disease, particularly following myocardial infarction, which compromises ventricular function. The risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease—hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, cigarette smoking, and diabetes—are therefore also the dominant risk factors for heart failure, while a smaller set of non-ischemic causes (toxic, infectious, and arrhythmic) accounts for the remainder of cases.