What is a primary cause of right ventricular failure?

Right ventricular failure is most commonly associated with conditions that increase the pressure within the pulmonary circulation, leading to an overload on the right side of the heart. Congestive heart failure (CHF), particularly when it involves left-sided heart failure, is a key factor because it often leads to elevated pressures in the pulmonary circulation due to back pressure from the left ventricle. As the left side struggles to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the lungs, leading to pulmonary congestion and increased workload for the right ventricle.

The right ventricle has to work harder to pump blood into the already pressurized pulmonary arteries, which can ultimately lead to right-sided heart failure. Therefore, the sequence of events that stem from left-sided heart issues impacting the right ventricle makes CHF a fundamental cause of right ventricular failure.

Other options present conditions that may lead to right ventricular strain, but they are not as primary as congestive heart failure in the context of chronic disease progression. For instance, increased pressure in the left atrium and pulmonary edema can indeed affect the right ventricle, but these are often consequences of left-sided issues like CHF rather than primary causes in and of themselves.