Heart failure.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects more than 2 million Americans and requires greater than 900,000 hospitalizations each year. The incidence of CHF is increasing because of the increasing age of the American population and the use of newer medications and technologies that have increased survival at the expense of increased morbidity. Physical therapists are treating many patients who have varying degrees of CHF. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of exercise conditioning in patients with CHF. This article will review the pathophysiology, compensatory mechanisms, and signs and symptoms of CHF as well as provide a discussion of physical therapy in the treatment of patients with CHF.