Diastolic Heart Failure: The Current Understanding and Approach for Management With Focus on Intensive Care Unit Patients

Multiple recent epidemiologic studies have highlighted the importance of diastolic heart failure (DHF) as a public health problem. Approximately half of patients presenting with symptomatic heart failure (HF) haveDHF and they suffer frommorbidity andmortality comparable to thosewith systolic HF.Our understanding of the pathophysiology ofDHF has evolved rapidly over the last decade, and the associated echo-Doppler findings that assistwith its diagnosis are greatly refined. Recently, there has been increased recognition of the role of diastolic dysfunction andDHF in the care of critically ill patients, including those admitted to noncardiac units. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date summary of the concepts of the pathophysiology ofDHF. In addition,we provide an overview of the diagnostic approaches, prognostic identifiers, and associated comorbidities that make DHF more resistant to manage with a focus of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit. The current approach to managing patients with DHF is also reviewed