Diastolic Dysfunction and the New Recommendations for Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Diastolic Function: Summary of Guidelines and Novelties in Diagnosis and Grading

Abstract

Diastolic function represents the filling property of the heart during diastole. Diastole comprises four phases: isovolumic relaxation, rapid filling, slow filling (diastasis), and active filling. Diastolic function is correlated to heart rate, atrial systolic function, ventricular compliance, preload, heart rhythm, and atrioventricular valve function. Diastolic dysfunction is a common condition; therefore, assessment of diastolic function should be a part of every routine echocardiogram. The latest recommendations for assessment of left ventricular diastolic function are practical and simple to implement in daily practice, and these recommendations are mainly based on six parameters: E wave, E/A ratio, septal or lateral e′, average E/e′, left atrial volume indexed, and peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity. The values of these parameters interact differently within many algorithms to diagnose and classify diastolic dysfunction. A summary is presented of the latest guidelines regarding assessment of diastolic function by echocardiography.