Cause: Often caused by high blood pressure, heart disease, or infection.

Useful Supplements: Arginine, Carnitine, Coenzyme Q10, Magnesium, Potassium, Taurine.

Useful Herbs: Hawthorn.

Further information: Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) can affect any part of the heart, causing an inability to pump blood properly and leading to decreased blood flow to the body. It can be caused by many factors, including heart disease, high blood pressure, tumors, infection, anemia, and hyperthyroidism. Other risk factors include smoking, obesity, and diets high in salt, fat, or alcohol.
Symptoms of CHF can include irregular or rapid pulse, swelling of the feet and ankles (edema), pronounced neck veins (especially throbbing with pulse beat), fatigue, shortness of breath, and excessive perspiration after mild activity.
A balanced, low-fat, low-sodium diet, combined with regular exercise, is the best way to avoid CHF. In addition, little or no alcohol should be consumed, and smoking should stop.
In many cases, changes to diet, combined with medication and regular exercise¹, can reverse the effects of CHF. However, in extreme cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to avoid further complications.
Due to its severity, symptoms of CHF should ALWAYS be checked with a health care professional, and any treatments or lifestyle changes approved in advance.

The following supplements and herbs have been shown to be effective in treating and preventing CHF:

Arginine is an amino acid used by the body in he production of nitric oxide, a compound that helps increase blood flow. Taken in small doses, it has been shown to help improve circulation in CHF patients.² Arginine is not recommended for patients with kidney or liver disease, or those with any form of the herpes virus (including recurrent cold sores).

Carnitine, a naturally forming combination of the amino acids Lysine and methionine, is often deficient in CHF sufferers.³ Supplementation of Carnitine can help repair heart damage caused by CHF.⁴

Coenzyme Q10 is effective in treating many heart conditions⁵ including CHF.⁶ It may take several months to show positive results, and should not be discontinued abruptly without consulting a health care professional, as sudden decrease of Coenzyme Q10 may cause worsening of CHF symptoms.

Magnesium deficiency is frequently associated with CHF, and can cause heart arrhythmia. Magnesium supplements can decrease the occurrence of arrhythmia.⁷ It has been found to be especially effective when taken in combination with Potassium.⁸

Taurine is an amino acid that appears to help regulate heart pumping. Taken as a supplement, it appears to help CHF patients.⁹

Hawthorn extract has been shown to be extremely effective in the treatment of early stage heart failure.¹⁰ Hawthorn aids in the increase of blood flow and heart strength, and acts as an antioxidant.^11,12

References:

¹Coats AJS. Effects of physical training in chronic heart failure. Lancet 1990;335:63–6
²Rector TS, Bank A, Mullen KA, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of supplemental oral L-arginine in patients with heart failure. Circulation 1996;93:2135–41.
³Suzuki Y, Masumura Y, Kobayashi A, et al. Myocardial carnitine deficiency in chronic heart failure. Lancet 1982;i:116 (letter).
⁴Bartels GL, Remme WJ, Pillay M, et al. Effects of L-propionylcarnitine on ischemia-induced myocardial dysfunction in men with angina pectoris. Am J Cardiol 1994;74:125–30.
⁵Morisco C, Trimarco B, Condorelli M. Effect of coenzyme Q10 in patients with congestive heart failure: a long-term multicenter randomized study. Clin Invest 1993;71:S134–6.
⁶Bartels GL, Remme WJ, Pillay M, et al. Effects of L-propionylcarnitine on ischemia-induced myocardial dysfunction in men with angina pectoris. Am J Cardiol 1994;74:125–30.
⁷Bashir Y, Sneddon JF, Staunton A, et al. Effects of long-term oral magnesium chloride replacement in congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 1993;72:1156–62.
⁸Packer M, Gottlieb SS, Kessler PD. Hormone-electrolyte interactions in the pathogenesis of lethal cardiac arrhythmias in patients with congestive heart failure. Am J Med 1986;80 (Suppl 4A):23–9.
⁹Azuma J, Hasegawa H, Sawamura N, et al. Taurine for treatment of congestive heart failure. Int J Cardiol 1982;2:303–4.
¹⁰Schmidt U, Kuhn U, et al. Efficacy of the hawthorn (Crataegus) preparation LI 132 in 78 patients with chronic congestive heart failure defined as NYHA functional class II. Phytomed 1994;1:17–24.
¹¹Maevers VW, Hensel H. Changes in local myocardial blood flow following oral administration of a Crataegus extract to non-anethesized dogs. Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res 1974;24:783–5.
¹²Bahorun T, Trotin F, et al. Antioxidant activities of Crataegus monogyna extracts. Planta Med 1994; 60:323–8.