Taylor remains cheerful despite health problems

Elizabeth Taylor is in good spirits despite suffering from congestive heart failure, says her publicist.

Taylor, 72, told W magazine in its December issue that she has the cardiac condition, in which the heart fails to pump enough blood through the body, resulting in fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid build-up and other symptoms.

The actress, an Academy Award winner for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966) and Butterfield 8 (1960), also said she has scoliosis that has twisted her spine, resulting in constant pain.

"My body's a real mess," said Taylor, whose screen credits also include Cleopatra, Suddenly, Last Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and National Velvet. "If you look at it in the mirror, it's just completely convex and concave."

Despite Taylor's health problems, her spokeswoman Sally Morrison said the actress was coping well and remained cheerful. She recently attended a friend's birthday party.