differential diagnosis
Last reviewed 01/2018
The differential diagnosis of classical heart failure includes:
- volume stresses on a normal heart:
- also called high output heart failure
- pressure stresses on a normal heart:
- malignant hypertension
- the further differential is that of dyspnoea
Conditions which may mimic symptoms of heart failure include:
- obesity
- chest disease (lung, diaphragm, or chest wall)
- venous insufficiency in lower limbs
- drugs e.g. - dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers, NSAID’s
- hypoalbuminaemia
- depression and/or anxiety disease
- severe anaemia or thyroid disease
- bilateral renal artery stenosis (1)
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