Which condition is known for visible edema from extravascular fluid retention?

Heart failure is characterized by visible edema due to extravascular fluid retention. This condition occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood effectively, leading to increased pressure in blood vessels. As a result, fluid can leak out from the vascular space into surrounding tissues, causing swelling or edema, particularly in the lower extremities and sometimes in the abdomen.

In heart failure, the body also activates compensatory mechanisms, such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which further promotes fluid retention. This combination of impaired heart function and increased fluid retention leads to the visible signs of edema.

While asthma can lead to shortness of breath and wheezing, it does not cause significant extravascular fluid retention. Diabetes can result in complications such as neuropathy and nephropathy, but these do not typically present as visible edema from fluid retention. Hypertension, while it can contribute to cardiovascular problems, does not directly cause edema as a primary symptom.

Thus, heart failure is the condition that most distinctly presents with visible edema due to the physiological processes of fluid imbalance related to heart function.