How are heart failure cells formed?
Apr 12, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Introduction
Heart failure cells generally refer to heart failure-associated cells, which result from heart failure or obstruction of pulmonary venous return. These cells can be caused by heart failure itself, or by pulmonary congestion due to impaired pulmonary venous return. The underlying causes of heart failure may include hypertension, heart disease, etc., leading to increased cardiac load and compensatory responses, resulting in myocardial ischemia and hypoxia.
Heart failure cells generally refer to heart failure-related cells, which develop due to heart failure or obstruction of pulmonary venous return.
Heart failure cells can be caused by heart failure itself or by pulmonary congestion resulting from impaired pulmonary venous return. Heart failure may arise from conditions such as hypertension or heart disease, leading to increased cardiac workload and compensatory responses that result in myocardial ischemia and hypoxia. This damages the cellular structure and reduces cardiac function, ultimately causing heart failure. Obstruction of pulmonary venous return may be due to mitral valve regurgitation or mitral stenosis. When the mitral valve fails to close properly or becomes narrowed, blood flow through the veins is impeded, causing red blood cells to leak into the lungs. Pulmonary macrophages then engulf these red blood cells, and the resulting breakdown products accumulate in the cytoplasm, forming heart failure cells.
Once formed, heart failure cells weaken the heart's contractile ability and lead to inadequate blood supply to organs throughout the body, potentially causing damage or functional failure in multiple organs. Therefore, early detection and timely treatment are crucial to prolonging the patient's survival to some extent.
