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Biomarkers of diastolic dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis: application to heart failure with a preserved ejection

Michael R Zile1, Catalin F Baicu

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina and Ralph H. Johnson, Ashley River Towers, 25 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. zilem@musc.edu

Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
|May 30, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Biomarkers in plasma can help manage heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). These markers reflect hemodynamic load and myocardial fibrosis, offering a less invasive approach to understanding HFpEF.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) presents significant unmet needs in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
  • Understanding unique pathophysiologic mechanisms is key to developing novel HFpEF therapies.
  • Increased left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP) and myocardial fibrosis are key HFpEF characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current and future applications of plasma biomarkers in managing HFpEF patients.
  • To highlight biomarkers reflecting hemodynamic overload and myocardial fibrosis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on HFpEF pathophysiology and biomarker research.
  • Focus on plasma-based biomarkers as alternatives to invasive procedures or complex imaging.

Main Results:

  • Plasma biomarkers can accurately reflect hemodynamic load and myocardial fibrosis.
  • Biomarkers offer a potential non-invasive method for assessing key HFpEF indicators.

Conclusions:

  • Biomarkers hold significant promise for improving the management of HFpEF.
  • Further research into biomarker applications could address critical unmet needs in HFpEF care.

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