Diastolic Heart Failure

Systolic and Diastolic Heart Failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood for the body due to a weakened or damaged heart. The heart's pumping action moves oxygen-rich blood as it travels from the lungs to the left atrium, then on to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body. The left ventricle supplies most of the heart's pumping power, so it's larger than the other chambers and essential for normal function. (American Heart Association). In left-sided or left ventricular heart failure, the left side of the heart must work harder to pump the same amount of blood. (American Heart Association). There are two types of left-sided heart failure: systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure. Heart
(Chatterjee 570). The symptoms of systolic and diastolic heart failures are very similar and it is not easy to distinguish between them based on physical examination or medical history alone. The symptoms for systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure include fatigue, shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic cough, nausea, irregular or rapid heartbeat, fluid buildup, weight gain or disorientation. In systolic heart failure, blood is pumped out of the heart with every heart beat is less than normal. (Chatterjee 570). Diastolic heart failure affects mainly the left ventricle, which doesn’t relax as it should and hence not allowing it to fill blood normally. (Chatterjee 570). After the confirmation of heart failure is present, the ventricular ejection fraction is measured to establish the diagnosis of systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure. (Chatterjee 570). If the ejection fraction is preserved then it is diagnosed as diastolic heart failure. If it is reduced, it is systolic heart failure. (Chatterjee 570). There has been considerable advances made in the treatment for systolic heart failure while very little progress has been made in the management of diastolic heart failure. (Chatterjee 574). The improvement in systolic heart failure is most likely related to
No such therapies have been discovered for diastolic heart failure; however, angiotensin receptive blocking agents have the potential to decrease morbidity in the patients, but not the mortality. (Chatterjee 574). Although patients with diastolic heart failure have a lower annual mortality rate than patients with systolic heart failure, they have a higher rate than the general population. (Chatterjee 574). They also have hospitalization rates similar to those of patients with systolic heart failure. These observations emphasize diastolic heart failure as an important contributor to morbidity, mortality, and health care costs, and highlight the need for further research and clinical trials examining this condition. (Chatterjee 572). Differentiating between systolic and diastolic dysfunction is essential because their long-term treatments are. The treatments of choice in patients with systolic dysfunction are ACE inhibitors, digoxin, diuretics and beta blockers. In patients with diastolic dysfunction, the cornerstones of treatment depend on the underlying cause. (Chatterjee