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Aim. To study the diagnostic value of the left atrial stiffness index (LASI) of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) depending assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the diagnosis on diastolic stress test (DST) results.Material and methods. DST was performed in cases of insufficient criteria for increased left ventricular filling pressure assessed by TTE. One hundred patients were examined (52,0% men, 66,1±5,4 years). Patients with a ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/e') ratio >15 in DST were included in group I (n=45), patients with E/e' 0,38 has the greatest ability to detect HFpEF among the possible pretest diagnostic methods.

Taking into account the conflicting literature data and the ambiguity in the interpretation of parameters of diastolic heart function in patients with coronary heart disease, we conducted an analysis of diastolic heart function in patients after myocardial infarction at the outpatient rehabilitation stage. Aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic information content and the feasibility of diastolic stress testing to assess the functional condition of postinfarction myocardium. Material and methods. 86 patients were examined at the outpatient stage of rehabilitation 6 weeks after myocardial infarction with coronary artery stenting ad hoc. The control group consisted of 10 healthy volunteers. Structural and functional examination of the heart was performed at rest and immediately after exercise using stress echocardiography. Results and discussion. Patients after myocardial infarction have a larger indexed volume of the left atrium (30.71 ± 8.88 vs. 20.49 ± 4.04 ml/m2) and an E/e` ratio (8.45 ± 3.27 vs. 6.46 ± 1.42) in comparison with the control group. 38 (62.3 %) patients with normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) had unimpaired LV diastolic function, 19 (31.1 %) and 2 (3.3 %) patients had type 1 and type 2 diastolic dysfunction, respectively, 2 patients (3,3 %) had an indeterminate result. Patients with reduced LV EF have a significantly lower early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e`). The diastolic stress test revealed a significant post-exercise increase in E/e` in only one patient (from 8.92 to 18.37), who also had an initially reduced EF (32 %). The stress test showed no significant changes in diastolic heart parameters after exercise in patients suffering from heart failure with preserved EF, which may indicate relatively good diastolic reserves of the heart. Conclusions. Myocardial infarction is accompanied by the presence of LV diastolic dysfunction in 53,5 % of the patients at the 6th week of the rehabilitation period. The diastolic stress test is accompanied by a rare occurrence of stress-induced diastolic dysfunction (4 %) in patients with reduced LV EF after myocardial infarction.

Low-grade systemic inflammation, myocardial stress, and extracellular matrix fibrosis lead to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The HFA-PEFF diagnostic algorithm and the H2FPEF score are recommended for detecting HFpEF. Their low compliance is the reason for improving the methods for diagnosing HFpEF. Modern paraclinical diagnostics of HFpEF includes an assessment of the left ventricular filling pressure during diastolic stress test. Phase analysis of left atrial strain during resting echocardiography may be promising to conclude an increase in mean left atrial pressure. Research interest is growing in relation to biomarkers involved in the regulation of collagen synthesis. Together, paraclinical diagnostics help to characterize sequential morphofunctional cardiac remodeling, increasing the possibility of HFpEF detection.

Aim. To assess the features of diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using echocardiographic markers and diastolic stress test (DST) according to a survey of ultrasound and functional diagnostics specialists in the Russian Federation.Materials and methods. As part of the study, an anonymous survey of 155 ultrasound and functional diagnostic specialists from various Russian regions was conducted. We proposed to answer whether they routinely assess certain echocardiographic parameters necessary for diagnosing HFpEF. The specialists also indicated whether they conduct DST and whether they have the opportunity to refer the patient to this study.Results. A frequency analysis of the responses received was carried out. In routine practice, 83,2% of specialists measure the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction by Simpson method, 76,1% — by Teichholz method. In addition, 80% of responders analyses LV mass index, 76,1% — relative LV wall thickness, 60% — tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, 56,8% — left atrial volume index, 51.6% — E/e´ ratio, 94,8% — pulmonary artery systolic pressure, left ventricular global longitudinal strain — 16,1%, 7,7% — left atrial longitudinal strain. Also, 9,7% of specialists conduct DST on their own, while 41,3% have the opportunity to refer patients.Conclusion. The low assessment rate of some ultrasonic HFpEF mar­kers and DST among functional diagnostics specialists in the Russian Federation reduces the detection rate of HFpEF. It is necessary to develop diagnostic algorithms based mainly on clinical and anam­nestic data and available for use by doctors of any specialty.

Background: The existing algorithm for defining exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction incorporates resting e' velocity as a surrogate of myocardial relaxation. The additive prognostic value of incorporating post‐exercise e' velocity in definition of exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction is poorly studied. Aim: To define the additive prognostic value of post‐exercise e' septal velocity in the assessment of exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction compared to the traditional approach. Methods: This retrospective study included 1409 patients undergoing exercise treadmill echocardiography with available full set of diastolic variables. Doppler measures of diastolic function included resting septal e' velocity, post‐exercise septal e' velocity, post‐exercise E/e' ratio, and post‐exercise tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity. Approaches incorporating resting septal e' velocity and post‐exercise septal e' velocity were compared in defining exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction, and for association with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Results: The mean age of study subjects was 56.3 ± 16.5 years and 791 (56%) patients were women. A total of 524 patients had disagreement between resting and post exercise septal e' velocities, and these values showed only weak agreement (kappa statistics:.28, P =.02). All categories of the traditional exercise‐induced DD approach incorporating resting septal e' velocity witnessed reclassification when exercise septal e' velocity was used. When both approaches were compared, increased event rates were only evident when both approaches agreed on exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction (HR: 1.92, P <.001, 95% CI: 1.37–2.69). This association persisted after multivariable adjustment and propensity score matching for covariates. Conclusion: Incorporation of post‐exercise e' velocity into the set of variables defining exercise‐induced diastolic dysfunction can improve the prognostic utility of diastolic function assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic utility of comprehensive, guideline-defined assessment of diastolic measures during routine exercise echocardiography remains unclear. The purpose of the study was to pragmatically assess the prognostic role of obtainable Doppler-derived diastolic variables during treadmill exercise echocardiography. In this retrospective study, the authors included 1910 patients undergoing exercise echocardiography. The guideline-defined diastolic measures included resting septal e' velocity, post-exercise E/e' ratio and post-exercise tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity. Since tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity is not routinely obtainable, the authors examined 2 approaches: 2 variable approach using only resting septal e' velocity and post-exercise E/e' ratio and 3 variable approach with all diastolic variables. The mean age of study subjects was 57.6 ± 16 years and 1068 (56 %) were women. The tricuspid jet velocity was not reliably obtained in 501(26 %) of patients. All 3 diastolic variables were associated with the hard outcomes (mortality, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac hospitalization), soft outcomes (subsequent revascularization and cardiac testing), as well as the composite outcome. In the 2-variable approach, the presence of 2 abnormal variables was associated with a worse composite outcome. In the 3 variable approach, the presence of 2 or 3 abnormal variables was associated with a worse composite outcome. The associations persisted after multivariable adjustment and in the propensity matched subgroups. Guideline-defined diastolic variables during treadmill exercise echocardiography offer prognostic utility when used in combination, especially if all 3 variables are obtainable. Assessment of diastolic response to exercise based on 2 variable approach (left upper panel) and 2 variable approach (right upper panel). The 2 variable approach lacks post-exercise tricuspid jet velocity. Both approaches were associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes (lower panels), however the 3 variable approach was assisted with better prediction of outcomes and resulted in reclassification of patients in the 2 variable approach. [Display omitted] • The current manuscript highlights the importance of a multiparametric approach for assessment of diastolic response to exercise. • Clinicians should refrain from drawing conclusions regarding diastolic response to exercise depending on single isolated variable. • An approach similar to that used for resting diastolic function should be used where the result of diastolic stress test should depend on the behavior of the majority of the variables. • In the event of the presence of 1 abnormal variable, the result should be labelled as indeterminate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diastolic dysfunction plays a major role in precipitating congestive heart failure in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In many such patients, symptoms are unmasked only during exercise because left ventricular (LV) filling pressure is normal at rest but increase with exercise. We sought to establish whether abnormal postexercise diastolic parameters are associated with reduced exercise capacity in patients with HCM. We examined 590 patients with asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic HCM (age 54 ± 14 years, 57% men, body mass index 30 ± 6 kg/m 2 , 84% on β blockers) with HCM by 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography at rest and after maximal treadmill exercise echocardiography (TSE). A complete echocardiogram (including LV ejection fraction, LV thickness, LV outflow tract [LVOT] gradient, degree of mitral regurgitation) was recorded. Diastolic parameters (septal and lateral [e'] velocities of the mitral annulus, peak early [E] and late [A] mitral inflow velocity, E/A ratio, E/e', right ventricular systolic pressure [RVSP], and left atrial volume index) were recorded at rest and after TSE. Exercise functional capacity was recorded and divided into <85% or >85% of age-gender predicted metabolic equivalents (AGP-METs). After maximal exercise, 32% patients had at least moderate mitral regurgitation, mean LVOT gradient was 61 ± 59 mm Hg, E/A ratio was 1.2 ± 1.0, average E/e' ratio 12.9 ± 1.0, and peak RVSP was 36 ± 15 mm Hg. Only 42% of patients achieved >85% of AGP-METs; the mean METs was 7 ± 3. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] 1.05), β-blocker use (OR 2.58), higher left atrial volume index (OR 1.02), higher peak stress LVOT gradient (LVOTG) (OR 1.06), peak stress E/e' (OR 1.04), and higher RVSP (OR 1.03) were independently associated with <85% AGP-METs achieved (all p <0.05). In conclusion, in patients with asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic HCM who underwent TSE, there is a significant and independent association between abnormal diastolic response to exercise and reduced exercise capacity in HCM. Incorporating diastolic parameters during stress echocardiography could provide incremental diagnostic utility in deciphering the exact etiology of dyspnea in such patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Milind Desai is a consultant and has research agreements with Bristol Myers Squibb, Cytokinetics, Tenaya, Viz-AI, and Edgewise. No industry support was utilized in the conduct of this study. The remaining authors have no competing interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is frequently complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH). A pulmonary vascular contribution could be considered as a substantial therapeutic target in HFpEF and PH and combined pre- and postcapillary PH (Cpc-PH). Methods We enrolled 50 patients with HFpEF and Cpc-PH who were determined by echocardiography to have pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) > 40 mmHg, pulmonary vascular resistance > 3 Wood units, and/or transpulmonary gradient > 15 mmHg. Results The patients were assigned to the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil group (25 mg TID for 3 months followed by 50 mg TID for 3 months; n = 30) or the control group (n = 20). In the sildenafil group after 6 months, the 6-min walk distance increased by 50 m (95% CI, 36 to 64 m); substantial improvement in NYHA functional class and exercise capacity during diastolic stress test were revealed; decreases in early mitral inflow to mitral annulus relaxation velocities ratio by 2.4 (95% CI, − 3.3 to − 1.4) and PASP by 17.0 mmHg (95% CI, 20.4 to 13.5) were observed; right ventricular systolic function (M-mode tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion) increased by 0.42 cm (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.52 cm; P

Olga Dzhioeva,1 Evgeny Belyavskiy2 1Department of Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Obesity, National Medical Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia; 2Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyCorrespondence: Evgeny BelyavskiyDepartment of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin 13353, GermanyTel +49 30450565494Fax +49 304507565494Email evgeny.belyavskiy@charite.deAbstract: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major global public health problem. Diagnosis of HFpEF is still challenging and built based on the comprehensive echocardiographic analysis. Currently, there are no universally accepted therapies that alter the clinical course of HFpEF. This review attempts to summarize the current advances in the diagnosis of HFpEF and provide future directions of the patients´ management with this very widespread, heterogeneous clinical syndrome.Keywords: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, transthoracic echocardiography, guidelines, diastolic stress test

AimsDiastolic stress testing (DST) is recommended to confirm heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with exertional dyspnea, but current algorithms do not detect all patients. We aimed to identify additional echocardiographic markers of elevated pulmonary arterial wedge pressure during exercise (exPAWP) in patients referred for DST.Methods and ResultsWe identified candidate parameters in 22 patients referred for exercise right heart catheterization with simultaneous echocardiography. Elevated exPAWP (≥25 mmHg) was present in 14 patients, and was best identified by peak septal systolic annular velocity

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents an important cardiovascular entity with increasing prevalence and relatively high mortality. The agreement about diagnostic algorithm for HFpEF is still missing. Echocardiographic approach remains the cornerstone in HFpEF diagnosis. Echocardiographic diastolic stress test provides numerous useful parameters that correlated well with indexes obtained by cardiac catheterization. Recently published consensus recommended new scoring system that included functional and structural echocardiographic parameters, as well as biomarkers. The new score for evaluation of HFpEF introduces a new set of parameters and proposed novel cutoff values for some of them. There are several important points that need to be resolved before full acceptance and clinical usage. First, some cutoff values are new and represent the result of expert consensus, without previous validation. Second, many patients with hypertension, obesity, and diabetes would be referred for further investigations as the result of this scoring, which is difficult to achieve in clinical circumstances. Third, the consensus equalized non-invasive and invasive diastolic stress tests in diagnosing of HFpEF, which is not a small issue. Namely, even though cardiac catheterization provides the final confirmation of elevated left ventricular filling pressures, it is still an invasive method, associated with procedural risk and other limitations. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge diagnosis of HFpEF, as well as the recent consensus about diagnostic algorithm in patients with suspected HFpEF with its advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex clinical syndrome associated with frequent hospitalizations, high mortality rates, and an absence of proven effective therapy. This type of heart failure is often accompanied by comorbidity that complicate the diagnosis of the underlying disease. The algorithm developed in 2016 does not take into account the heterogeneity of patients and course of HFpEF. Recently, new diagnostic algorithms (H2FPEF, HFA-PEFF) and biomarkers have appeared that allow detecting HFpEF at an early stage, taking into account the pathogenesis, which may contribute to development of new effective treatment methods.

Aim. To assess the effect of the sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitor empagliflozin on exercise tolerance and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).Material and methods. The present prospective, single-center, open-label study included 60 patients with HFpEF and T2D, who were assigned to groups receiving empagliflozin 10 mg/day. or previously taken hypoglycemic therapy (control group). The follow-up period lasted 24 weeks. All patients underwent a 6-minute walk test and rest and stress echocardiography at baseline and at the end of the study.Results. After 24 weeks. in the empagliflozin group there was an increase in the 6-minute walk test distance by 20 m (95% confidence interval (CI), from 7 to 33 m), a decrease in the early mitral inflow to mitral annulus relaxation velocities (E/e’) ratio by 1,8 (95% CI, from -2,4 to -1,2) and maximum left atrial volume by 2,6 (95% CI, from -4,4 to -0,8) ml/m2, as well as an increase in the diastolic reserve (mitral annulus relaxation velocity increment e’ during exercise increased from 2,2 (95% CI, 1,7 to 2,7) to 3,4 (95% CI, 2,4 to 4,2) cm/s; P

Preoperative examination of patients undergoing high-risk elective non-cardiac surgery requires identifying factors associated with both the type of surgery and comorbidity profile of each patient. Determination of clinically significant echocardiographic changes, even without severe symptoms, can contribute to a change in management or revision of scheduled date and surgery tactics. The aspects of defining echocardiographic criteria for potential postoperative cardiovascular complications, especially in asymptomatic patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, are an important clinical problem. The diastolic stress test, a relatively new type of exercise testing, is currently an additional diagnostic tool to detect heart failure in patients without reduced ejection fraction. The prospects of using this method before non-cardiac surgery in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction is discussed in this article.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diastolic dysfunction, detected commonly by echocardiography is the fore-runner of Heart Failure (HF) with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in future. Exercise stress by Treadmill Test (TMT) followed by echocardiography can unmask sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction. Aim: To estimate the proportion of patients with unexplained exertional dyspnea that had sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction and to find out the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: This institution-based cross-sectional study, included participants with history of unexplained exertional dyspnea having normal baseline electrocardiogram and echocardiogram (N=106). Patients having serious co-morbidities like azotemia, decompensated liver disease, malignancy and also individuals who did not give consent were excluded. Included individuals were subjected to exercise stress by TMT Bruce protocol stage 1. Postexercise echocardiography was done to find out proportion of patients showing diastolic dysfunction in postexercise echocardiogram. Factors associated with unmasking of sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Postexercise echocardiography revealed diastolic dysfunction in 33 individuals (31.13%). On multivariate analysis, diabetes and hypothyroidism were significant predictors of exercise-induced diastolic dysfunction. The appearance of diastolic dysfunction was due to changes in mitral inflow E/A ratio and pulmonary vein systolic flow/diastolic flow (S/D) ratio in postexercise echocardiogram. Conclusion: Exercise stress can unmask sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction in significant number of patients.

Diastolic dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Around 50% of cases of heart failure, the hemodynamic correlate of which is increased left ventricular filling pressure, are caused by diastolic dysfunction in the setting of apparently normal systolic function. Due to its high prevalence, diastolic dysfunction is often recognized as an incidental finding. Many patients have Doppler echocardiographic evidence of impaired diastolic function but do not have any symptoms of heart failure at rest. In many of these patients, symptoms of diastolic dysfunction occur only during exercise, as left ventricular filling pressure is normal at rest, but increases with exercise. This implies that filling pressures should also be measured during exercise. The diastolic stress test refers to the evaluation of diastolic function, either invasively or noninvasively, during exercise. This review focuses on the clinical need for diastolic stress testing, both invasively and noninvasively. • Diastolic dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of heart failure. • Frequently, symptoms of diastolic dysfunction occur only during exercise, as LV filling pressure is normal at rest, but increases with exercise. • This implies that LV filling pressures should also be measured not only at rest but also during exercise. • The diastolic stress test refers to the evaluation of diastolic function, either invasively or noninvasively, during exercise, and it will provide insights into cardiovascular hemodynamics. • More work is needed to refine and standardize the methodology but the integration of diastolic stress testing into clinical practice will certainly enhance our understanding and better management of patients with diastolic dysfunction and exertional dyspnea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diastolic dysfunction, detected commonly by echocardiography is the fore-runner of Heart Failure (HF) with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in future. Exercise stress by Treadmill Test (TMT) followed by echocardiography can unmask sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction. Aim: To estimate the proportion of patients with unexplained exertional dyspnea that had sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction and to find out the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: This institution-based cross-sectional study, included participants with history of unexplained exertional dyspnea having normal baseline electrocardiogram and echocardiogram (N=106). Patients having serious comorbidities like azotemia, decompensated liver disease, malignancy and also individuals who did not give consent were excluded. Included individuals were subjected to exercise stress by TMT Bruce protocol stage 1. Postexercise echocardiography was done to find out proportion of patients showing diastolic dysfunction in postexercise echocardiogram. Factors associated with unmasking of sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: Postexercise echocardiography revealed diastolic dysfunction in 33 individuals (31.13%). On multivariate analysis, diabetes and hypothyroidism were significant predictors of exercise-induced diastolic dysfunction. The appearance of diastolic dysfunction was due to changes in mitral inflow E/A ratio and pulmonary vein systolic flow/diastolic flow (S/D) ratio in postexercise echocardiogram. Conclusion: Exercise stress can unmask sub-clinical diastolic dysfunction in significant number of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) remains on the basis of echocardiographic analyses at rest. However, some patients with HFPEF have symptoms such as dyspnea only during exercise. Accordingly, echocardiographic analyses at rest could be insufficiently sensitive to identify these patients. In line, recent studies demonstrated that in some patients with HFPEF left ventricular diastolic abnormalities occur only during exercise. This review discusses and analyzes the clinical relevance and evidence of using diastolic stress test echocardiography in patients with HFPEF.

Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the potential usefulness of diastolic stress test (DST) echocardiography in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods and results: Patients with suspected HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%, exertional dyspnoea, septal E/e′ at rest 9–14, and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) at rest < 220 pg/mL; n = 13) and a control group constituted from asymptomatic patients with arterial hypertension (n = 19) and healthy subjects (n = 18) were included. All patients were analysed by two‐dimensional and Doppler echocardiography at rest and during exercise (DST) and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and NT‐proBNP analysis during exercise. HFpEF during exercise was defined as exertional dyspnoea and peak VO2 ≤ 20.0 mL/min/kg. In patients with suspected HFpEF at rest, 84.6% of these patients developed HFpEF during exercise, whereas in the group of asymptomatic patients with hypertension and healthy subjects, the rate of developed HFpEF during exercise was 0%. Regarding the diagnostic performance of DST to detect HFpEF during exercise, an E/e′ ratio >15 during exercise was the most accurate parameter to detect HFpEF (accuracy 86%), albeit a low sensitivity (45.5%). Nonetheless, combining E/e′ with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) velocity > 2.8 m/s during exercise provided a significant increase in the sensitivity to detect patients with HFpEF during exercise (sensitivity 72.7%, specificity 79.5%, and accuracy 78%). Consistent with these findings, an increase of E/e′ was significantly linked to worse peak VO2, and the combination of an increase of both E/e′ and TR velocity was associated with elevated NT‐proBNP values during exercise. Conclusions: The findings of this pilot study suggest that DST using E/e′ ratio and TR velocity could be of potential usefulness to diagnose HFpEF during exercise in patients with suspected HFpEF at rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycle echocardiography (CE) is recommended for noninvasive diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction but can be limited by respiratory and movement artifact. Isometric handgrip echocardiography (IHE) is also a robust diastolic discriminator, while avoiding the limitations associated with dynamic exercise. This study sought to compare these two diastolic stress testing approaches. Twelve elderly individuals were recruited from the community (age 71 ± 6 yr). Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function (via echocardiography) were assessed at rest and in response to 3 min of IHE at 40% of their maximal voluntary contraction, followed by 3 min of CE at 20 W. Both IHE and CE caused a significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to similar increases in myocardial oxygen demand. Both stressors also evoked a similar rise in the ratio between early LV mitral inflow velocity to early lateral annular velocity, a surrogate measure of LV filling pressure. The underlying mechanisms leading to these changes, however, were inherently different. IHE increased mean arterial pressure, and impaired myocardial relaxation, to a greater extent than CE. In contrast, CE augmented cardiac index, and increased early mitral filling velocity, to a great extent than IHE. In conclusion, for the first time, these data highlight several important similarities and differences between IHE and CE. That IHE avoids respiratory and movement artifact, while still serving as a robust diastolic discriminator, supports IHE as a strong alternative to CE for diastolic stress testing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to compare the diastolic stress response between isometric handgrip exercise and conventional cycle exercise. The data suggest that isometric handgrip echocardiography is comparable to conventional cycle echocardiography, both in terms of its hemodynamic challenge and global diastolic stress response. That isometric handgrip echocardiography eliminates both respiratory and movement artifact and is low cost and incredibly portable supports its integration into routine echocardiography exams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) remains on the basis of echocardiographic analyses at rest. However, some patients with HFPEF have symptoms such as dyspnea only during exercise. Accordingly, echocardiographic analyses at rest could be insufficiently sensitive to identify these patients. In line, recent studies demonstrated that in some patients with HFPEF left ventricular diastolic abnormalities occur only during exercise. This review discusses and analyzes the clinical relevance and evidence of using diastolic stress test echocardiography in patients with HFPEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Cardiac function should be assessed during stress in patients with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction ( HFPEF), but it is unclear how to define impaired diastolic reserve. Methods and results We conducted a systematic review to identify which pathophysiological changes serve as appropriate targets for diagnostic imaging. We identified 38 studies of 1111 patients with HFPEF (mean age 65 years), 744 control patients without HFPEF, and 458 healthy subjects. Qualifying EF was >45-55%; diastolic dysfunction at rest was a required criterion in 45% of studies. The initial workload during bicycle exercise (25 studies) varied from 12.5 to 30 W (mean 23.1 ± 4.6), with increments of 10-25 W (mean 19.9 ± 6) and stage duration 1-5 min (mean 2.5 ± 1); targets were submaximal ( n = 8) or maximal ( n = 17). Other protocols used treadmill exercise, handgrip, dobutamine, lower body negative pressure, nitroprusside, fluid challenge, leg raising, or atrial pacing. Reproducibility of echocardiographic variables during stress and validation against independent reference criteria were assessed in few studies. Change in E/e' was the most frequent measurement, but there is insufficient evidence to establish this or other tests for routine use when evaluating patients with HFPEF. Conclusions To meet the clinical requirements of performing stress testing in elderly subjects, we propose a ramped exercise protocol on a semi-supine bicycle, starting at 15 W, with increments of 5 W/min to a submaximal target (heart rate 100-110 b.p.m., or symptoms). Measurements during submaximal and recovery stages should include changes from baseline in LV long-axis function and indirect echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have highlighted that dyspneic patients comprise a high-risk subgroup of patients referred for cardiac stress testing. Even after adjusting for the presence and degree of coronary artery disease the risk of cardiac and all-cause mortality is at least three- to fivefold higher in dyspneic patients compared to asymptomatic or those with chest pain. Stress echocardiography is uniquely positioned to characterize all potential cardiovascular etiologies of dyspnea from global and regional systolic dysfunction, myocardial ischemia to valvular heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and diastolic dysfunction. Various data point to diastolic dysfunction and associated heart failure as the major potential etiology for dyspnea as well as the likely cause of the heightened mortality risk. Doppler echocardiography at rest and with stress can now characterize the hemodynamics of diastolic dysfunction and close the loop on the comprehensive assessment of the patient who has exertional shortness of breath. This review discusses the role of the Doppler echocardiographic diastolic stress test in the evaluation of patients with cardiac dyspnea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of ischemic heart disease is the cornerstone of clinical Cardiology. Although there are many means of ischemic evaluation, all are with their own limitations. While perfusion-based studies are highly sensitive, they lack specificity. Conversely, systolic wall motion analysis with echocardiography tends to have high specificity; however, the sensitivity may be limited by short duration of systolic abnormalities when present. With the advent of Doppler echocardiography, and more specifically tissue Doppler imaging, and strain and strain rate imaging, a more comprehensive evaluation of the left ventricular function is available, including diastole. Diastolic abnormalities in the setting of ischemia are now being studied using these new parameters and have been suggested as a reliable marker of ischemia. Exercise-induced abnormalities in diastolic parameters have improved sensitivities and specificities over traditional stress testing and persist longer than systolic abnormalities. A review of the medical literature regarding the subject will be discussed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice., Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate the value of diastolic stress echocardiography (DSE) and heart failure (HF) biomarkers in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and HF symptoms., Methods: All the consecutive patients with HF symptoms, preserved LVEF, and suspected DD were examined on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and DSE using the protocol according to the American Society of Echocardiography recommendations. Moreover, blood samples were taken 30 minutes before and after DSE for the following lab markers: N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), mid regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), and serum soluble ST2 receptor (ST2)., Results: The study group included 80 patients (mean [standard deviation, SD] age, 69 (8.1) years; 25% males) with dyspnea (New York Heart Association classification IIa - 53; IIb - 17; III - 10) and risk factors: hypertension (96%), diabetes (41%), obesity (56%), and known coronary artery disease (10%). The rest transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed preserved systolic function (mean [SD], LVEF 61.1 [10.5]%) and normal or indeterminate diastolic function. DSE revealed a positive result for diastolic dysfunction in 17 patients (21%). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that age (the area under the curve [AUC], 0.725; P < 0.01), left atrial volume indexed for body surface area [LAVI] rest (AUC, 0.722; P < 0.01), E/e' rest (AUC, 0.790; P < 0.01), and baseline NT-proBNP (AUC, 0.713; P < 0.01) predicted positive DSE. Other parameters, including body mass index, baseline E/A, DT, or e' were not predictive of DSE results., Conclusions: DSE revealed diastolic dysfunction in 21% of study patients and improved the diagnostic value of echocardiography. Rest NT-proBNP, but not MR-proANP and ST2, provided a diagnostic value for diastolic dysfunction.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is frequently complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH). A pulmonary vascular contribution could be considered as a substantial therapeutic target in HFpEF and PH and combined pre- and postcapillary PH (Cpc-PH).Methods: We enrolled 50 patients with HFpEF and Cpc-PH who were determined by echocardiography to have pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) > 40 mmHg, pulmonary vascular resistance > 3 Wood units, and/or transpulmonary gradient > 15 mmHg.Results: The patients were assigned to the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil group (25 mg TID for 3 months followed by 50 mg TID for 3 months; n = 30) or the control group (n = 20). In the sildenafil group after 6 months, the 6-min walk distance increased by 50 m (95% CI, 36 to 64 m); substantial improvement in NYHA functional class and exercise capacity during diastolic stress test were revealed; decreases in early mitral inflow to mitral annulus relaxation velocities ratio by 2.4 (95% CI, - 3.3 to - 1.4) and PASP by 17.0 mmHg (95% CI, 20.4 to 13.5) were observed; right ventricular systolic function (M-mode tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion) increased by 0.42 cm (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.52 cm; P < 0.01 for all). No changes occurred in the control group.Conclusions: In a subset of patients with HFpEF and Cpc-PH assessed by echocardiography, PDE5 inhibition was associated with an improvement in exercise capacity, pulmonary haemodynamic parameters, and right ventricular function. The role of sildenafil needs to be considered in randomized trials in selected patients with HFpEF with invasively confirmed Cpc-PH.Trial Registration: Russian National Information System of Research, Development and Technology Data of Civilian Usage (NIS, https://rosrid.ru), registration number 01201257849 . Registered 20 April 2012. This manuscript adheres to the CONSORT guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exercise stress echocardiography (SE) is well validated for the evaluation of myocardial ischemia. Diastolic stress testing (DST) is recommended in the 2016 American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for unexplained dyspnea. This study's aim was to prognostically evaluate the DST prospectively in a large stress testing population., Methods: Patients underwent SE with mitral E/e' measured before and after maximal treadmill exertion to estimate diastolic function. Patients were divided into four groups: group 1 (n = 201)-ischemic; group 2 (n = 1,563)-negative DST (E/e' pre  < 12, E/e' post  < 12); group 3 (n = 68)-positive DST (E/e' pre  < 12, E/e' post  ≥ 12); group 4 (n = 314)-high baseline E/e' (E/e' pre  ≥ 12)., Results: Consecutive patients (n = 2,201, 770 [35%] female; 58 ± 12 years) were followed after SE for 27,964 patient-months. Time to first heart failure event (composite of heart failure admission, worsening New York Heart Association class, worsening ejection fraction, or cardiovascular death) was analyzed and adjusted using Cox proportional hazards regression. Ischemic patients hazard ratio (HR) was 28, 95% CI, 17-44, P < .0005, for subsequent heart failure compared with negative DST patients. Nonischemic, positive DSTs were highly predictive (HR = 4.2; 95% CI, 1.6-11.0; P = .001); while high E/e' pre was not predictive (HR = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.7-2.4; P = .49) of future heart failure events., Conclusions: DST differentiates heart failure prognosis in patients with induced diastolic dysfunction. Ischemia predictably portends the worst heart failure outcomes, and nonischemic, positive diastolic stress tests predicted more events compared with negative tests. These prognostic data support and add to the recommendations of the 2016 guidelines., (Copyright © 2019 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Stress testing helps diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but there are no established criteria for quantifying left ventricular (LV) functional reserve. The aim of this study was to investigate whether comprehensive analysis of the timing and amplitude of LV long-axis myocardial motion and deformation throughout the cardiac cycle during rest and stress can provide more informative criteria than standard measurements., Methods: Velocity, strain, and strain rate traces were measured from all 18 LV segments by echocardiographic myocardial velocity imaging at rest and during semisupine bicycle exercise in 100 subjects aged 69 ± 7 years, including patients with HFpEF and healthy, hypertensive, and breathless control subjects. A machine-learning algorithm, composed of an unsupervised statistical method and a supervised classifier, was used to model spatiotemporal patterns of the traces and compare the predicted labels with the clinical diagnoses., Results: The learned strain rate parameters gave the highest accuracy for allocating subjects into the four groups (overall, 57%; for patients with HFpEF, 81%), and into two classes (asymptomatic vs symptomatic; area under the curve, 0.89; accuracy, 85%; sensitivity, 86%; specificity, 82%). Machine learning of strain rate, compared with standard measurements, gave the greatest improvement in accuracy for the two-class task (+23%, P < .0001), compared with +11% (P < .0001) using velocity and +4% (P < .05) using strain. Strain rate was also best at predicting 6-min walk distance as an independent reference criterion., Conclusions: Machine learning of spatiotemporal variations of LV strain rate during rest and exercise could be used to identify patients with HFpEF and to provide an objective basis for diagnostic classification., (Copyright © 2018 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cycle exercise echocardiography is a useful tool to "unmask" diastolic dysfunction; however, this approach can be limited by respiratory and movement artifacts. Isometric handgrip avoids these issues while reproducibly increasing afterload and myocardial oxygen demand., Hypothesis: Isometric handgrip echocardiography (IHE) can differentiate normal from abnormal diastolic function., Methods: First recruited 19 young healthy individuals (mean age, 24 ± 4 years) to establish the "normal" response. To extend these observations to a more at-risk population, we performed IHE on 17 elderly individuals (mean age, 72 ± 6 years) with age-related diastolic dysfunction. The change in the ratio of mitral valve inflow velocity to lateral wall tissue velocity (E/e'), a surrogate for left ventricular filling pressure, was used to assess the diastolic stress response in each group., Results: In the young subjects, isometric handgrip increased heart rate and mean arterial pressure (25 ± 12 bpm and 26 ± 17 mmHg, respectively), whereas E/e' changed minimally (0.6 ± 0.9). In the elderly subjects, heart rate and mean arterial pressure were similarly increased with isometric handgrip (19 ± 16 bpm and 25 ± 11 mmHg, respectively), whereas E/e' increased more dramatically (2.3 ± 1.7). Remarkably, 11 of the 17 elderly subjects had an abnormal diastolic response (ΔE/e': 3.4 ± 1.1), whereas the remaining 6 elderly subjects showed very little change (ΔE/e': 0.3 ± 0.7), independent of age or the change in myocardial oxygen demand., Conclusions: IHE is a simple, effective tool for evaluating diastolic function during simulated activities of daily living., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)