Right Heart Failure Causes and Clinical Epidemiology

Right heart failure is a complex and diverse syndrome with unique causes and pathophysiology. The right heart is being recognized as a structurally discrete and functionally independent predictor of mortality. Renewed interest in the right heart has led to efforts to consolidate definitions of right heart failure in an effort to standardize nomenclature and unify epidemiologic studies. Improvements in imaging in particular have contributed to epidemiologic studies, as well as understanding of right heart physiology, which has subsequently led to improved diagnostics and management. This article describes the various causes of right heart disease and its epidemiology.