Preload Contractility and Afterload

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The content explains key cardiovascular concepts: preload, contractility, afterload, and their roles in heart function. Preload refers to the heart's capacity to fill during diastole, while contractility involves the force of heart contractions. Afterload involves the pressure against which the heart must pump. A ventricular septal defect impacts blood flow, decreasing cardiac output and causing systemic congestion.