Diastolisch hartfalen

- Diastolic heart failure is predominantly a disease of the elderly: at the age of 70 years, almost half of all patients with heart failure have diastolic heart failure.

- Hypertension and obesity are common underlying disorders in patients with diastolic heart failure.

- Patients with diastolic heart failure have an equal, or only slightly better, prognosis in terms of mortality compared to patients with systolic heart failure.

- Echocardiography can distinguish diastolic heart failure from systolic heart failure. Patients with heart failure and a normal ejection fraction almost certainly have a diastolic dysfunction.

- There is a lack of reliable data about the optimal medicinal treatment strategy for patients with diastolic heart failure. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β-blockers, and (non-dihydropyridine) calcium antagonists have therapeutic potential. Digoxin may be contraindicated.