This document provides an overview of the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure. It lists predisposing factors like age, gender, and lifestyle factors that can precipitate the condition. When the heart's workload increases acutely or chronically, its pumping capacity is damaged. This decreases cardiac output and blood pressure, activating compensatory mechanisms that increase stress on the heart and worsen the condition over time. Ultimately, the overdistended heart leads to fluid overload presenting as edema.