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Changes in the lungs in heart failure

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

In acute heart failure the high pressure in pulmonary veins causes a series of pathological changes in the lungs:

  • interstitial fluid causes stiffening of the lungs and increases the work of breathing
  • oedema of the walls of airways may cause non-asthmatic airways obstruction
  • oedema of alveolar walls may impede gaseous exchange
  • frank fluid in the alveoli results in gross hypoxaemia and lung crepitations

In the well-diuresed patient with chronic heart failure there are no gross changes in lung structure or function. There may be increased fatiguability of respiratory muscles.

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