Which type of heart failure is associated with pulmonary causes and symptoms?

Left ventricular heart failure is associated with pulmonary causes and symptoms primarily because it affects the heart's ability to effectively pump blood from the left ventricle into systemic circulation. When the left ventricle fails, blood backs up into the pulmonary circulation, leading to increased pressure in the pulmonary vessels. This causes fluid to leak into the lung tissues, resulting in pulmonary congestion and symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, and orthopnea.

In contrast, right ventricular heart failure primarily leads to systemic symptoms, such as peripheral edema and elevated jugular venous pressure, since it affects the blood flow returning to the heart from the body. Biventricular heart failure involves both sides of the heart and can cause a mix of symptoms, but it is primarily characterized by the impact on the heart's ability to manage blood flow effectively. Diastolic heart failure, while related to the heart's filling capacity, is typically categorized under left-sided heart failure when looking at overall pulmonary involvement.

Thus, the defining characteristic of left ventricular heart failure is the direct impact it has on pulmonary symptoms due to fluid buildup in the lungs from the congestive aspect of its dysfunction.