Cardiologist Dr Ross Walker focuses on preventative cardiology and practises at the Sydney Heart Health Clinic

Heart failure (HF) is not the same thing as a heart attack. HF is when your heart doesn’t pump blood effectively

This animation explains what heart failure is, including its causes and symptoms, and shows the impact that heart failure can have on a person’s life.

In August 2015, at age 23, Garik Aleksandryan had his first heart attack. Doctors in the ER he went to were baffled—he seemed like a normal, healthy young guy.

The heart is designed as a muscular pump to push blood around the body. Heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to match what the body needs.

Heart failure (or congestive heart failure) is a serious condition where the heart has difficulty pumping enough blood around the body.