Introduction: Heart failure with conserved systolic function is frequent and attributed to the diastolic dysfunction. The diagnosis of diastolic heart failure requires the association of clinical signs of heart failure, a conserved left ventricular systolic function and a diastolic dysfunction.
Objective: To determine the proportion of cases of isolated diastolic heart failure among patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary edema.
Methods: The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the diastolic function and levels of NT-proBNP have been assessed at admission of 145 patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary edema.
Results: 49% of patients included were older than 80 years (mean age 78.6 + 0.9 years). Among the 83 patients with conserved LVEF, 25% had an ischemic heart disease, 24% a severe valvular disease, 22% an atrial fibrillation, 5% a severe bradycardia, 2% a severe hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Only 15 patients presented an isolated diastolic heart failure. The level of NT-proBNP was correlated to LVEF but was not able to identify those with isolated diastolic heart failure in the group with "conserved systolic function".
Conclusion: Among patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary edema, the prevalence of heart failure with conserved systolic function is high, but only 10% of them presented an isolated diastolic heart failure. The NT-proBNP levels do not permit to identify them.