What is a common symptom of right-sided heart failure?

• A. Congestion in the systemic circulation
• B. Pulmonary edema
• C. Hypertension
• D. Bradycardia

Answer: (A)

Right-sided heart failure causes the right ventricle to struggle pumping blood into the lungs, so blood backs up into the systemic venous circulation. This systemic venous congestion produces the typical symptoms you see with right-sided failure, especially edema in the legs and abdomen, liver congestion, and distended neck veins. So the most characteristic symptom is congestion in the systemic circulation, which explains swelling and related signs. Pulmonary edema belongs to left-sided failure when fluid backs up into the lungs, hypertension is a risk factor rather than a direct symptom, and bradycardia is not a hallmark feature of this condition.