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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and skeletal muscle physiology
Stephen D Farris1, Farid Moussavi-Harami1, April Stempien-Otero2
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Abstract:
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for half of all heart failure in the USA, increases in prevalence with aging, and has no effective therapies. Intriguingly, the pathophysiology of HFpEF has many commonalities with the aged cardiovascular system including reductions in diastolic compliance, chronotropic defects, increased resistance in the peripheral vasculature, and poor energy substrate utilization. Decreased exercise capacity is a cardinal symptom of HFpEF. However, its severity is often out of proportion to changes in cardiac output. This observation has led to studies of muscle function in HFpEF revealing structural, biomechanical, and metabolic changes. These data, while incomplete, support a hypothesis that similar to aging, HFPEF is a systemic process. Understanding the mechanisms leading to exercise intolerance in this condition may lead to strategies to improve morbidity in both HFpEF and aging.
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