Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function

This chapter looks at how left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a key player in the pathophysiology of heart failure and it has prognostic implications even in the preclinical stage. Echocardiography is the first-line imaging modality used for the clinical evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. A large number of echocardiographic parameters have been tested and validated against invasive measurements of diastolic function, each of them having potential limitations. The updated 2016 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) recommendations proposed a comprehensive integrated approach aiming to make the assessment of LV diastolic function easier and accurate for daily clinical practice.