systolic versus diastolic dysfunction
Last reviewed 01/2018
Heart failure may be caused by:
- ventricular systolic dysfunction
- ventricular diastolic dysfunction
Systolic dysfunction:
- results in low blood pressures
- is most common
- caused by inadequate contractile capacity
Diastolic dysfunction:
- results in congestion
- caused by inability of the ventricle to relax correctly
- caused by myocardial or pericardial disease
Heart failure may be caused by mixed systolic and diastolic dysfunction. For example in a patient with hypertension and ischaemic heart disease there may be:
- a systolic dysfunction because of previous myocardial infarction
- a diastolic dysfunction because of scarring and myocardial hypertrophy