Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart fails to pump blood efficiently to the body's organs. It can be caused by a number of things including clogged arteries, heart attack and high blood pressure.  

Causes of heart failure
Coronary artery disease, previous heart attack, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, arrhythmia, drugs, alcohol, aortic stenosis, mitral or aortic regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension.
   The risk of developing heart failure increases with a person's weight: rising slightly in those who are only slightly overweight, and eventually doubling in those who are obese.

Supplements that may be helpful in Congestive Heart Failure or Heart Disease
There are quite a number of herbs and supplements that could have a beneficial effect on heart disease. I have listed some below. You may click on each one for more information but ultimately the use of supplements has to be done with the full knowledge and approval of your health care provider.

Fish OIls or eating cold water fish reduces the risk for heart rhythm disturbances and may reduce the risk of heart palpitations, atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia.
Arginine may prolong exercise capacity in those with congestive heart failure (see below)
Carnitine is potentially helpful since the heart uses carnitine for energy production
CoQ10 may be beneficial in heart failure
Hawthorn is vasodilatory, increases coronary flow, acts as an inotrope (stimulates heart contraction), decreases peripheral resistance, and has ACE-inhibitor-like effect. Daily dosage 3 to 5g or 160 to 900 mg extract for a few weeks. Appears to be useful in mild heart failure.
Folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 can help prevent reoccurrence of blocked arteries in patients who have undergone coronary angioplasty.
Psyllium fiber may help
Magnesium mineral may help
Ribose may be beneficial to individuals with congestive heart failure.
Astragalus has been studied in heart failure

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Natural Treatment for Heart Failure Research Update
Cutting calories may slow age-related changes in the heart's genes that lead to chronic disease. Reduce caffeine from coffee, tea, and guarana. Avoid stimulants of any sort. Heart failure patients who are even mildly depressed may have a poorer prognosis than others with the heart ailment.

Exercise for heart failure
Moderate exercise may help boost sexual health and function in men with heart failure. The results may be good news for some men with erectile dysfunction, because Viagra and other similar impotence drugs can have dangerous interactions with medications commonly prescribed to treat heart failure.
   Prolonged and sustained endurance training prevents stiffening of the heart, a condition associated with the onset of heart failure, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The researchers also report that a sedentary lifestyle, in addition to aging, puts older people at risk for heart failure, the leading cause of hospitalizations for patients over 65 and a condition that affects eight out of every 1,000 people older than 70.

Arginine and Heart Failure
Dietary supplementation with the amino acid L-arginine may improve the physical fitness of heart failure patients by enhancing their endurance to exercise. L-arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, a compound that plays a key role in the heart and circulatory system, both at rest and during exercise. Nitric oxide helps the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate. Dysfunction of the "L-arginine-nitric oxide" pathway in heart failure leads to reduced blood flow at rest and during exercise, partly explaining the exercise capacity limitations of chronic heart failure patients. Dr. Stephane Doutreleau and colleagues from Institut de Physiologie, Strasbourg, France, examined the potential benefits of 6 weeks of L-arginine supplementation on endurance exercise in 10 patients with chronic stable heart failure and compared to a placebo group. Patients who took L-arginine experienced a significant decrease in their average heart rate throughout exercise and the recovery period. There were no significant changes in blood pressure and respiratory parameters. The current study supports a prior study in which a group of heart failure patients were shown to benefit from a combination of exercise and L-arginine supplements. In that study, the combination appeared to help correct the abnormal functioning of blood vessels seen in chronic heart failure. International Journal of Sports Medicine July 2006.

L-arginine supplementation prolongs duration of exercise in congestive heart failure.
Kardiol Pol. 2004 Apr;60(4):348-53.
In congestive heart failure, endothelial dysfunction may contribute to impairment of exercise induced vasodilatation and decreased exercise capacity. We hypothesised that administration of L- arginine, a precursor of nitric oxide (NO) and postulated antioxidant, may improve endothelium - dependent vasodilatation and exercise capacity and also exert antioxidant activity. AIMS: To investigate the effect of oral supplementation with L-arginine on exercise capacity and markers of oxidative stress in patients with mild to moderate heart failure. The study had a randomised double-blind cross-over design. Twenty one patients with stable NYHA II-III heart failure underwent three exercise tests: initially, after oral administration of L-arginine (9 g/day for 7 days) or placebo. Blood was sampled prior to each test for plasma lipid peroxides, reduced sulphydryl groups and leukocyte oxygen free radical production. We found a higher prolongation of exercise duration time after L-arginine than after placebo. There were no significant differences in markers of free radical activity. In patients with chronic stable congestive heart failure, oral supplementation with L-arginine prolongs exercise duration which may be due to NO-induced peripheral vasodilatation. The antioxidant properties of L-arginine have not been confirmed in this ex vivo study.

Psyllium reduces cardiac risk
An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that supplementing the diet with psyllium fiber has positive effects on blood lipids while potentially cardiovascular risk. Sixty-eight adults with high cholesterol consumed a high-fiber and a control diet for 1 month each in a randomized crossover study. The high-fiber diet included 4 servings per day of foods containing psyllium that delivered 8 g per day of soluble fiber than did similar, unsupplemented foods in the control diet. Fasting blood samples and blood pressure readings were obtained at baseline and weeks 2 and 4, and the subjects' weight was monitored weekly. Compared with the control diet, the high-fiber diet reduced total cholesterol levels. Applying the Framingham cardiovascular disease risk equation to the data confirmed a reduction in risk of 4 percent. Small reductions in blood pressure were found after both diets. The subjects reported no significant differences in palatability or gastrointestinal symptoms between the diets.
   Dr. Sahelian says: Even though the reduction of cholesterol was small, it was nevertheless a positive response. Adding psyllium to the diet, for instance about a teaspoon in a glass of water two or three times a day with meals will help reduce cholesterol and also helps regulate bowel movements.

Magnesium good for heart patients
Patients with heart disease are often placed on several medicines including beta-blockers and nitrates, but doctors rarely think about suggesting mineral supplements. In a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers enrolled 187 patients with heart disease to try oral magnesium and compare the results with those on placebo pills. The dose of magnesium was about 200 mg twice daily and it was in the form of magnesium citrate. At the beginning of the study, blood magnesium levels were similar in both groups, but increased significantly in those who took the magnesium supplements. After six months of treatment, those taking magnesium were found to have a significant improvement in the amount of time they could exercise without chest pain, but there were no changes in cholesterol levels between the two groups.
   Dr. Sahelian says: In patients who are already taking heart medicines and still have not had the best results possible, it seems that magnesium is a safe, cheap, and effective natural mineral to add to the regimen. The ideal dose of magnesium is not known, but it would seem reasonable to take 100 to 200 mg twice daily.

Heart failure with diabetes
People with advanced heart failure and who also have diabetes that requires insulin treatment have about a fourfold greater mortality rate than heart failure patients who don't take insulin. Previous studies have shown that diabetes itself is associated with a moderate increase in mortality risk in heart failure patients. It is not clear whether the insulin itself leading to this dramatic increase in mortality risk.

Congestive Heart Failure Symptom