There are two main types of heart failure: systolic heart failure and transmural heart failure. Systolic heart failure is caused by a decrease in the ejection capacity of the ventricles, which do not have enough force to pump blood to the circulatory system. Eventually, blood from the pulmonary circulation builds up in the lungs, producing pulmonary stasis and increased fluid production in the alveoli, leading to symptoms of shortness of breath. This is by far the most common type of heart failure. Diastolic heart failure (heart failure with normal ejection fraction) is due to reduced relaxation of the heart. In most cases, diastolic heart failure is closely associated with hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. This type of heart failure can also lead to fluid retention, which manifests as edema in the ankles, feet and legs. It can also manifest as pulmonary stasis. However, doctors do not have much to do with this type of heart failure and mostly focus on controlling blood pressure with the application of diuretics.