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 About Diastolic Heart Failure Diastolic heart failure is characterized by the inability of the left ventricle to relax properly and fill with blood. This is caused by stiffening and impaired relaxation with normal systolic function, either due to hypertrophy or to processes such as fibrosis and infiltrative diseases. These changes cause high LV filling pressures, leading to pulmonary congestion and atrial fibrillation due to distention of the atrium. The risk factors for DHF include advancing age, obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Additional causes are amyloidosis, ventricular hypertrophy and diffuse myocardial fibrosis (Braunwald E, Zipes DP, Libby P (editors). Heart disease: A textbook of cardiovascular medicine. W.B. Saunders Company Publishers. 6th edition, 2001:534-561). Left ventricular pressures throughout diastole are elevated in patients with diastolic heart failure. Normal Left Ventricular End Diastolic Pressure (LVEDP) is 5-12 mmHg, while in diastolic dysfunction LVEDP can reach 20-25 mmHg. The main objective of treating diastolic dysfunction is to lower diastolic filling pressures. There are currently no approved devices. |
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