title: Diastolic heart failure: diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: The most frequent hospital diagnosis-related group is congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF increases dramatically with age, making it an important problem in our aging population. CHF is caused by a primary abnormality in diastolic function (diastolic heart failure [DHF]) in 50% of patients with CHF who are > 70 years of age. Mortality rates in patients with DHF are comparable to those of patients with systolic heart failure, approaching 50% over 5 years. Successful therapy of DHF requires making a correct diagnosis, identifying the underlying cause, and applying specific and individualized treatment.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Section of the Department of Medicine, Gazes Cardiac Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zile
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simsic
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003971:Diastole; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents