Prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a general population
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Murine Echocardiography of Left Atrium, Aorta, and Pulmonary Artery
Published on: February 20, 2017
Tatiana Kuznetsova1, Lieven Herbots, Begoña López
1Studies Coordinating Centre, Division of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. tatiana.kouznetsova@med.kuleuven.be
Insights
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, a precursor to heart failure, affects nearly 27.3% of the general population. Risk factors include age, obesity, and hypertension, highlighting the need for early detection.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Myocardial remodeling precedes heart failure symptoms.
- Guidelines emphasize early detection of subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.
- Identifying risk factors for heart failure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of LV diastolic dysfunction in the general population.
- To identify risk factors associated with LV diastolic dysfunction.
- To compare NT-proBNP levels in individuals with and without diastolic dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function in 539 participants.
- Tissue Doppler imaging and Doppler measurements of mitral inflow and pulmonary vein flow.
- Establishment of age-specific normal values using a healthy subsample.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of diastolic dysfunction was 27.3% (impaired relaxation: 9.8%, elevated filling pressure: 14.1%, combined: 3.4%).
- Elevated NT-proBNP levels were observed in impaired relaxation and elevated filling pressure groups.
- Risk factors included higher age, BMI, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, insulin, and creatinine.
Conclusions:
- LV diastolic dysfunction is prevalent in the general population.
- Echocardiographic assessment is key for identifying diastolic dysfunction.
- Risk factor management is essential for preventing heart failure progression.
Background:
Because the process of myocardial remodelling starts before the onset of symptoms, recent heart failure (HF) guidelines place special emphasis on the detection of subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic dysfunction and the timely identification of risk factors for HF. Our goal was to describe the prevalence and determinants (risk factors) of LV diastolic dysfunction in a general population and to compare the amino terminal probrain natriuretic peptide level across groups with and without diastolic dysfunction.
Methods And Results:
In a randomly recruited population sample (n=539; 50.5% women; mean age, 52.5 years), we measured early and late diastolic peak velocities of mitral inflow (E and A), pulmonary vein flow by pulsed-wave Doppler, and the mitral annular velocities (Ea and Aa) at 4 sites by tissue Doppler imaging. A healthy subsample of 239 subjects (mean age, 43.7 years) provided age-specific cutoff limits for normal E/A and E/Ea ratios and the differences in duration between the mitral A and the reverse pulmonary vein flows during atrial systole (DeltaAd-ARd). The number of subjects in diastolic dysfunction groups 1 (impaired relaxation), 2 (elevated LV end-diastolic filling pressure), and 3 (elevated E/Ea and abnormally low E/A) were 53 (9.8%), 76 (14.1%), and 18 (3.4%), respectively. We used Delta(Ad
Conclusions:
The overall prevalence of LV diastolic dysfunction in a random sample of a general population, as estimated from echocardiographic measurements, was as high as 27.3%.
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