Thanks to Instagram and other such social media platforms, we know a lot about our health than before. In a video, a person presses on his lower leg, and instead of the skin bouncing back smoothly, it shows small pit-like impressions. The caption on the video reads: A Visible Sign Of Congestive Heart Failure.

A throbbing dorsalis pedis pulse, the artery running along the top of the foot, might appear harmless at first glance. However, doctors caution that such a finding can be an important clinical sign, often linked to conditions such as peripheral vascular changes or fluid overload. In particular, it may reflect elevated central venous pressure (CVP), a common feature of congestive heart failure (CHF).

Medical experts recommend that whenever this sign is seen, it should not be dismissed. Instead, patients should be assessed thoroughly, including checking bilateral pulses, looking for swelling in the legs or feet, and correlating these observations with blood pressure and a full cardiac examination.

Understanding Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure, also called simply heart failure, is a long-term condition where the heart cannot pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body’s needs. While the heart is still beating, it struggles to keep up with circulation demands. As a result, blood builds up in other parts of the body, most often in the lungs, legs, and feet.

Doctors often describe it with a relatable analogy: imagine a shipping department that is constantly behind schedule. Packages pile up because they cannot be dispatched on time. Similarly, in heart failure, fluid “packages” accumulate in the body, leading to symptoms and complications.

Different Types of Heart Failure

Heart failure is not a one-size-fits-all condition. It has different forms:

• Left-sided heart failure, where the left ventricle struggles to pump blood effectively.
• Right-sided heart failure, which often results from long-standing left-sided failure and leads to blood backing up in veins.
• High-output heart failure, a rare type where the heart pumps normally but the body demands more blood than it can provide.
• Right-sided heart failure is particularly linked to distended veins and visible pulsations, as seen in cases where fluid overload is present.

How Widespread Is the Problem?

Heart failure is alarmingly common. In the United States alone, more than six million people live with the condition, making it the leading cause of hospitalization among those older than 65. With aging populations and rising lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, the burden of CHF is expected to grow further.

Common Symptoms Of Heart Failure

CHF can manifest in many ways, some subtle and others unmistakable. Typical symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath, especially during activity or at night
• Chest pain and palpitations
• Fatigue and weakness
• Swelling in the ankles, legs, and abdomen
• Weight gain and frequent nighttime urination
• A persistent, dry cough or bloating in the stomach

Some patients may experience only mild discomfort, while others face severe, life-limiting symptoms. Importantly, the condition tends to worsen over time if not managed.

Causes and Risk Factors

Several factors contribute to the development of heart failure, including:

• Coronary artery disease and heart attacks
• Long-standing high blood pressure
• Cardiomyopathy, often due to genetics or viral infections
• Diabetes and kidney disease
• Obesity, tobacco use, alcohol, or recreational drug use
• Certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs

Risk increases with age, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and family history of heart disease. Left-sided heart failure is the most common trigger for right-sided failure, but lung diseases and other organ issues can also play a role.

Potential Complications

Unchecked heart failure can lead to serious complications such as irregular heart rhythms, sudden cardiac arrest, valve damage, fluid buildup in the lungs, kidney or liver failure, and malnutrition. These risks make early recognition of clinical signs, such as visible dorsalis pedis pulsation, critically important.

Diagnosing Heart Failure

Doctors use a combination of medical history, physical examinations, and diagnostic tests to confirm CHF. They typically ask about family history, lifestyle habits, medication use, and other medical conditions. Key tests include echocardiograms, ECGs, chest X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, stress tests, and blood work. In some cases, genetic testing may also be used.

Stages of Heart Failure

Heart failure is classified into four stages (A to D):

Stage A: High risk but no symptoms, often due to conditions like hypertension or diabetes.

Stage B: Structural heart problems but no outward symptoms.

Stage C: Clear symptoms alongside a confirmed diagnosis.

Stage D: Advanced heart failure with severe, treatment-resistant symptoms.

California made it news for a disease that has no vaccination. This is the human metapneumovirus or the HMPV. While some of the symptoms of this virus are similar to that of any common cold or influenza like cough, fever, nasal congestion or shortness of breath, there are several symptoms that are unique to the disease.

Unique Symptoms Of HMPV - The Virus Without Vaccine

Unlike mild common colds, HMPV often presents with a high-grade fever, particularly in children. Some of the other symptoms also include persistent coughing, including dry or productive and may persist for a long duration.

Furthermore, it could cause wheezing, difficulty in breathing, which could also lead to severe lower respiratory tract illness like bronchiolitis or pneumonia. In children and older adults, it could also cause severe or often fatal bronchiolitis or rapid-onset pneumonia.

In infants, it could also exhibit irritability, poor feeding, or dehydration.

Other symptoms, which could resemble common cold like symptoms are:

• cough
• fever
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• body ache
• headache

What Is Happening In California?

As per the public database WasterwaterScan Dashboard, high levels of HMPV were detected across Northern California cities. The highest levels were reported in Redwood City, whereas elevated levels were found in San Francisco Bay Area and Napa's Wine Country. What's more dangerous is that this virus is without a vaccine.

The good news is that in other parts of country HMPV remains lower. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that data from October 2025 shows the cases are trending up, especially during winter and spring.

Read: Virus Without Vaccine Hits California; No Need To Worry, Say Public Health Officials

Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, as reported by The Independent said, "In the late winter, early spring, it can account for five percent to 10 percent of all the respiratory infections that we diagnose in the United States. So it's definitely out there." Experts explain that other viruses like HMPV or influenza get a chance when COVID is quieter.

What Is HMPV - The Virus Without Vaccine?

HMPV was first discovered in 2001 and is part of the Pneumoviridae family along with the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

HMPV most likely spreads from an infected person to others through:

• the air by coughing and sneezing
• close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• touching objects or surfaces that have the viruses on them, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes

In the US, HMPV circulates in predictable patterns each year, typically beginning in winter and lasting through spring.

Who Are At Risk Of HMPV?

People at risk include:

• elderly people
• children
• people with comorbidities

"The HMPV is not deadly, and there is no evidence of mortality or a severe transmission rate," former Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientist, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, told IANS, during the virus's outbreak in India in 2025.

“The virus may cause pneumonitis-like illness, but the mortality rates are almost unknown so far. HMPV has a global prevalence of about 4 per cent,” he added.

Smoking has been long recognized as one of the worst habits a person can have, and Dr Jeremy London agrees with this statement. Dr. London, a cardiovascular surgeon, in a recent interview with Mel Robbins revealed that his number one advice as a heart doctor is to avoid smoking.

“I cannot come up with one single thing that does as much damage to every organ in the body as smoking cigarettes. And look, it's incredibly addictive and I know that and I pass no judgment because I know how difficult it is.”

He explained that in his practice he has dealt with chronic smokers for years and still believed that it is the single most dangerous thing one can do to themselves.

Also Read: Why Is It Harder For Women To Quit Smoking?

How Does Smoking Affect Other Organs?

Emphasizing how this one habit affects all organs in our body, Dr London mentioned the well-known link between lung cancer and smoking.

However, there are many more chronic diseases associated with the rest of the body that can develop due to smoking apart from lung conditions, according to the American Lung Association.

Here is what you should keep an eye out for:

Heart Disease

Also Read: 3 Science-Backed Methods To Quit Smoking For Good

Asthma

Reproductive Health

Vision Loss

Lung Cancer

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all cases. Although medical treatments have improved, the five-year survival rate remains low. Quitting is the most effective way to lower your risk of this deadly disease.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Other Cancers

Fasting for three hours before bed can significantly improve heart health and reduce the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as other chronic conditions, an Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology study suggests.

While many believe that diet plans such as intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating can help reduce their weight, researchers at Northwestern University have found that not eating three hours before going to sleep can reduce overnight blood pressure by nearly four percent, heart rate by five percent and strengthen overall heart rhythms.

This can help reduce overall strain on the heart which lowers risks for conditions like hypertension and CAD. Additionally, the scientists also discovered a drop in blood sugar levels, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

Participants who underwent glucose tests also showed better insulin release which tend to stabilize during the day. Additionally, an improved heart rate also lowered nighttime cortisol, which helped in metabolic balance.

Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine and chief of sleep medicine in the department of neurology at Feinberg and corresponding author said of the results: "It's not only how much and what you eat, but also when you eat relative to sleep that is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating."

The study authors also noted: "Extending overnight fasting duration by three hours in alignment with sleep improved cardiometabolic health in middle-aged/older adults by strengthening coordination between circadian- and sleep-regulated autonomic and metabolic activity.

"This sleep-aligned time-restricted eating approach represents a novel, accessible lifestyle intervention with promising potential for improving cardiometabolic function."

Coronary Artery Disease: The Silent Killer

Despite being as a common heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD) develops over years and has no clear signs and symptoms apart from a heart attack. The illness begins due to a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances known as plaque in and on the artery walls.

Over time, this can cause narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries and block the supply of oxygen-rich blood to heart which can lead chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and ultimately, heart attacks.

Typically, those above the age of 45, having a biological family member with heart disease, lack of sleep, smoking, consuming saturated fats along with other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk of developing CAD.

Treatment options may include medicines and surgery. Eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise and not smoking can help also prevent CAD and the conditions that can cause it.

Nearly one in 10 Indian adults suffer from CAD and about two million people die from the disease annually. Apart from this, about 18 to 20 million American adults aged 20 and older are also affected about the disease.

Strokes: A Rising Crisis In India

One in seven stroke patients in India are young adults aged below 45 years, with hypertension leading as the major risk factor, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 identified hypertension, air pollution, tobacco smoking, high cholesterol, increased salt intake, and diabetes as the leading risk factors of stroke.

Incidence of stroke is increasing significantly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in India, due to population growth, aging, and greater exposure to risk factors.