New diagnostic perspectives on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: systolic function beyond ejection fraction.
Maria Chiara Todaro, Bijoy K Khandheria, Luca Longobardo, Concetta Zito, Maurizio Cusmà-Piccione, Gianluca Di Bella, Lilia Oreto, Moemen Mohammed, Giuseppe Oreto, Scipione Carerj
Author Information
Maria Chiara Todaro: aClinical and Experimental Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy bAurora Cardiovascular Services, Aurora Sinai/Aurora St. Luke's Medical Centers, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Although preserved ejection fraction is found in more than 50% of patients with heart failure, its acceptance as a specific clinical entity is limited. More understanding of the physiopathology, early diagnosis and medical management is needed. With no existing systematic information in the literature, the aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the new imaging techniques for diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, particularly in the early stages of the disease, underlying the pivotal role of new technologies such as two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and vascular stiffness.
