Inclusion Criteria:  Admission for decompensated HF (traditional diagnostic criteria will be utilized for diagnosing ADHF - presence of dyspnea as presenting complaint; evidence of volume overload - peripheral or pulmonary edema, elevated jugular venous pressure > 10 cmH2O, presence of hepatojugular reflux, or ascites; elevated B-type Natriuretic Peptide (>100ng/ml); evidence of pulmonary vascular congestion on chest x-ray1, or Admission for dyspnea that is NOT related to ADHF (absence of all HF symptoms and signs mentioned in ADHF inclusion criteria- except for dyspnea as presenting complaint) Able to give informed consent Age >= 18 years  Exclusion Criteria:  Mortality during inpatient observation Presence of acute stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) Presence of intracranial hemorrhage History of acute stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or intracranial hemorrhage within the preceding 6 months Presence of decompensated liver disease (elevated ALT/AST; ascites; Acute variceal bleeding; or hepatic encephalopathy) Presence of sepsis Presence of severe hyponatremia (Serum sodium < 130 meq/L) Active malignancy (undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or planned surgical intervention) Presence of reduced renal function at baseline (average value from outpatient visits within the preceding 12 months), defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the CKD-EPI equation with serum creatinine;2, 3 Presence of an acute change in kidney function as evidenced by a > 50% rise in serum creatinine at admission from the baseline value