Can bedside testing of B-type natriuretic peptide be used to diagnose left-ventricular diastolic dysfunction?
Torbjørn Omland
Correspondence Cardiology Division, Akershus University Hospital, 1478 Lørenskog, Norway
Email torbjorn.omland@medisin.uio.no
This article has no abstract so we have provided the first paragraph of the full text.
Arterial hypertension and coronary artery disease are common causes of HF, but HF is often preceded by a phase of asymptomatic systolic or diastolic dysfunction. Echocardiography can be used in patients with HF to determine whether left-ventricular systolic or diastolic function is impaired, but can also be performed to show such dysfunction in asymptomatic individuals. Reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction is a widely accepted criterion for systolic dysfunction, but multiple echocardiographic indices of left-ventricular relaxation, filling, diastolic distensibility and stiffness have been proposed as diagnostic criteria for diastolic dysfunction. Even though diastolic HF is common and can be managed differently from systolic HF, a standardized assessment of left-ventricular diastolic function has yet to be integrated into routine clinical practice in echocardiography laboratories.
Full text of this article is available with one of the following:
- Personal subscription Purchase your own personal subscription to this journal. Already a subscriber? Please log in for immediate access.
- 7 day single article pass for US$18 In order to purchase this article you must be a registered user. Please register or log in.
- Site licence Learn more about institutional site licences
Current Subscribers
Please log in to access the full text article using the login box at the top of the page.
