When assessing for congestive heart failure, peripheral resistance is primarily affected in which type?

The correct choice, which points to left-sided heart failure, directly relates to the mechanisms involved in congestive heart failure and how they affect peripheral resistance.

In left-sided heart failure, the left ventricle is unable to effectively pump blood out to the body. This inefficiency leads to increased pressure in the pulmonary circulation and subsequently results in fluid buildup in the lungs and decreased oxygenation of blood. As a compensatory response, the body activates various neurohormonal mechanisms such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and the sympathetic nervous system, which together increase peripheral resistance. Increased peripheral resistance occurs due to vasoconstriction, which helps maintain blood flow to vital organs despite the heart's impaired ability to pump sufficient volumes.

Thus, in the context of congestive heart failure, it is the left-sided component that predominantly influences peripheral resistance through these compensatory mechanisms. Systolic heart failure, often considered in conjunction with left-sided failure, refers to the impaired contraction of the heart and doesn't specifically refer to the distinct physiological outcome of peripheral resistance in the same way. In diastolic heart failure, which is characterized by the heart's resistance to filling due to stiff ventricles, peripheral resistance may also be affected