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Diastolic heart failure in the community
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Redfield.margaret@mayo.edu
Insights
Isolated diastolic dysfunction, a common cause of congestive heart failure (CHF), particularly affects the elderly. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial due to its progressive nature and poor prognosis, similar to systolic heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Isolated diastolic dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a cause of congestive heart failure (CHF).
- This condition is poorly understood but of significant concern to cardiovascular specialists and primary care physicians.
- Epidemiologic data suggest diastolic heart failure predominantly affects the elderly, a rapidly growing population segment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging data on the prevalence and natural history of diastolic heart failure in the community.
- To highlight the diagnostic challenges in the elderly due to comorbidities.
- To emphasize the importance of early identification and intervention for this progressive disease.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent epidemiologic data.
- Analysis of clinical characteristics and natural history.
- Focus on community-based practices.
Main Results:
- Diastolic heart failure is prevalent in the elderly.
- Diagnosis can be challenging due to comorbidities.
- Prognosis for isolated diastolic heart failure is poor, comparable to systolic dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Further research into the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and natural history of diastolic dysfunction is needed.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for improving outcomes in patients with diastolic heart failure.
- Diastolic dysfunction represents a significant public health concern, particularly in aging populations.
Abstract:
Although it is now widely recognized that isolated diastolic dysfunction can lead to the classic signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF), this disease process is poorly understood and remains of great interest and concern to cardiovascular disease specialists, as well as to primary care physicians. Recent epidemiologic data have suggested that diastolic heart failure is predominantly a disease of the elderly, the fastest growing segment of our population. Diagnosis is often difficult in this subgroup of patients due to the presence of confounding comorbidities. However, early identification in community-based practices and timely intervention is important due to the significant disability and death that results from this progressive disease process. The poor prognosis of CHF patients with systolic dysfunction is shared by those with isolated diastolic heart failure and preserved systolic function. Further studies of the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and natural history of patients with diastolic dysfunction are needed. This review focuses on the emerging data regarding the prevalence and natural history of diastolic heart failure in the community.