Heart failure is the most common reason for hospitalisation in Germany. About half of all heart failure cases are caused by "heart failure with preserved ejection fraction", i. e. "diastolic heart failure". Hemodynamic alterations are characterized by an increase in left ventricular stiffness, which leads to an increase in left ventricular filling pressures, especially during exercise. Numerous pathophysiologic changes can cause diastolic heart failure which may explain why it is so difficult to treat this disease. Comorbidities are more prevalent in diastolic heart failure as compared to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The most important comorbidities are discussed in terms of prevalence, relevance for outcome and therapeutic options.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.