Which type of heart failure leads to pulmonary edema?

Left-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) is directly associated with pulmonary edema due to its impact on the circulatory system. When the left side of the heart is unable to effectively pump blood out to the systemic circulation, blood accumulates in the left atrium and subsequently the pulmonary veins. This accumulation of blood results in increased pressure within these vessels, leading to fluid leaking into the pulmonary interstitial spaces and alveoli. As this fluid collects, it disrupts normal gas exchange and can cause significant respiratory distress, which is characterized as pulmonary edema.

In contrast, right-sided CHF primarily affects the systemic veins and is more commonly associated with peripheral edema, such as swelling in the legs and abdomen, rather than pulmonary edema. Combined CHF can exhibit symptoms of both sides but does not specifically isolate pulmonary edema to left-sided failure. Cor pulmonale, while related to right-sided failure often due to chronic lung conditions, does not cause pulmonary edema in the same manner as left-sided CHF. Hence, left-sided CHF is the condition most directly responsible for the development of pulmonary edema.