Ive been led to understand that heart failure can be subdivided into diastolic and systolic dysfunction. What is the distinction between these 2 forms of dysfunction?
Diastolic dysfunction is an impairment of the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle. This leads to elevation of end-diastolic pressures (LVEDP) with preserved ejection fraction. Pulmonary edema results as the pressure backs up and floods the lungs (aka pulmonary edema). Systolic dysfunction is an impairment of the contraction phase of the cardiac cycle resulting in loss of cardiac output which in turn leads to hypotension. Because of the decreased forward blood flow, volume is backed up into the lungs causing pulmonary edema indistinguishable from that which can be caused by diastolic dysfunction.
