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Systolic versus diastolic dysfunction

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Heart failure may be caused by:

  • ventricular systolic dysfunction
  • ventricular diastolic dysfunction

Systolic dysfunction:

  • results in low blood pressures
  • is most common
  • caused by inadequate contractile capacity

Diastolic dysfunction:

  • results in congestion
  • caused by inability of the ventricle to relax correctly
  • caused by myocardial or pericardial disease

Heart failure may be caused by mixed systolic and diastolic dysfunction. For example in a patient with hypertension and ischaemic heart disease there may be:

  • a systolic dysfunction because of previous myocardial infarction
  • a diastolic dysfunction because of scarring and myocardial hypertrophy

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