What compensatory mechanism involved in both chronic heart failure and decompensated heart failure leads to fluid retention and edema?

A. Increased systemic blood pressure – While systemic vasoconstriction may occur to maintain perfusion, it is a result of compensatory mechanisms like RAAS, not a primary mechanism leading to fluid retention and edema.

B. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activation – RAAS leads to:

Sodium and water retention via aldosterone

Vasoconstriction via angiotensin II

These changes increase intravascular volume, contributing to fluid overload and edema.

C. Ventricular hypertrophy – This is a structural adaptation to increased workload (pressure overload), not directly responsible for fluid retention.

D. Ventricular dilation – Dilation occurs as a result of chronic volume overload, not as a compensatory mechanism causing fluid retention.

A. A thin and strong left ventricle is not typical of systolic heart failure.
B. A thick and weak ventricle is more characteristic of diastolic heart failure (impaired relaxation and filling).
C. Systolic heart failure involves impaired contraction of the left ventricle, which often becomes thin and weak due to ventricular dilation and loss of contractile strength.
D. A thick and strong ventricle is not typical of heart failure.