Understanding diastolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: choosing the right model.

Congestive heart failure (HF) is a frequent reason for hospital admission. Fifty percent of HF hospitalizations have normal ejection fraction (EF),1 referred to as diastolic HF (DHF). In contrast, patients with systolic HF (SHF) have reduced EF. The DHF phenotype describes patients with signs and symptoms of HF, normal EF, normal left ventricular (LV) volume, hypertension with increased relative wall thickness, LV diastolic dysfunction, and predominantly elderly women.1,2