What is the most common cause of right heart failure?

Right heart failure is commonly a consequence of left heart failure due to the interactions between the two sides of the heart. When the left side of the heart fails, it generally leads to increased pulmonary venous pressure. This increase in pressure causes pulmonary congestion and elevated pressures in the pulmonary circulation, which subsequently places a larger workload on the right side of the heart. The right ventricle struggles to pump blood effectively through the high-pressure pulmonary arterial system, leading to right heart failure.

This pathophysiological process highlights the interconnectedness of heart function—when one side of the heart fails, it can significantly impact the other side. As a result, left-sided heart failure is often the most common precursor to right-sided heart failure, particularly in patients with congestive heart failure and other heart diseases.

While other options are indeed associated with right heart failure—such as pulmonary embolism causing acute right heart strain or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leading to cor pulmonale—the predominant cause linked to right heart failure in a broader context is often the chronic effects stemming from left heart failure.