John Durbeyfield's heart condition

[Catriona L]

We are told that John Durbeyfield's serious heart condition was 'fat round his heart' but what would be a modern day medical interpretation of this?

[Pompey Bum]

Congestive heart disease, I imagine, although I don't suppose Hardy knew it. John Durbeyfield was Tess' feckless father, right? It's been some time, but I remember being struck by the character. He reminded me of Abraham Lincoln's father--simple and inoffensive but dangerous and a horror in his own way. I'll have to put Tess on my reread list. I remember really liking it years and years ago.