Causes

In most cases, a lack of oxygen to your heart, usually from a heart attack, damages its main pumping chamber (left ventricle). Without oxygen-rich blood flowing to that area of your heart, the heart muscle can weaken and go into cardiogenic shock.

Rarely, damage to your heart's right ventricle, which sends blood to your lungs to get oxygen, leads to cardiogenic shock.

Other possible causes of cardiogenic shock include:

• Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
• Infection of the heart valves (endocarditis)
• Weakened heart from any cause
• Drug overdoses or poisoning with substances that can affect your heart's pumping ability