Cor pulmonale is best described as failure of which heart chamber due to chronic respiratory disease?

• A. Right ventricle
• B. Left ventricle
• C. Atria
• D. Interventricular septum

Answer: (A)

Cor pulmonale refers to right-sided heart failure driven by chronic lung disease. In chronic respiratory illness, the pulmonary vessels constrict and remodel, raising pulmonary vascular resistance. The right ventricle, which pumps blood into the lungs, must generate higher pressures to overcome this afterload. Over time, this causes right ventricular hypertrophy and then dilation with eventual failure. The left ventricle is not primarily affected by this process, and while the atria or septum can be involved secondarily, the chamber most affected is the right ventricle.