What Are the Causes of Diastolic Dysfunction?

The primary causes of diastolic dysfunction include chronic high blood presssure, aortic stenosis, coronary artery disease, restrictive cardiomyopathy and aging.

In restrictive cardiomyopathy, abnormal cells, protein, or scar tissue causes infiltration of the heart muscle and it is made stiff. Amyloidosis is the most common cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy in which a disease in which protein-like substance is deposited within the body’s tissues. Sarcoidosis and hemochromatosis are other causes for restrictive cardiomyopathy. The effect of aging is yet to be understood clearly if it alone causes stiffening of the ventricles.

Heart failure is the primary cause of death among the people over age of 65. More than 20% of older adults hospitalize due to heart failure. Nevertheless, recent advancements in treatment of hypertension, heart surgeries, and heart pacemakers are improving survival rates. The complications of heart failure are given below.

Cardiac Cachexia. This condition is of unintentional rapid weight loss (a loss of at least 7.5% of normal weight within 6 months) in patients with heart failure. It ismore severe in patients who are obese. Cardiac cachexia is an important indicator of a worsening condition of heart failure.