Diastolic Dysfunction, Made Simple with Echo

 

Understanding Diastolic Dysfunction, Made Simple with Echo

This visual shows how the heart’s diastolic function (its ability to relax and fill) changes across different stages of dysfunction , from normal to severely restrictive (Grade 3–4).

Here’s what’s being analyzed:

1️⃣ ECG: for timing

2️⃣ Mitral inflow: the E and A waves show how blood enters the left ventricle

3️⃣ Pulmonary vein flow: tells us about left atrial pressure

4️⃣ Tissue Doppler: checks the movement of the mitral annulus

5️⃣ Color M-mode: shows how quickly blood fills the ventricle (Vp = propagation velocity)

🟢 Normal:

E wave > A wave, good tissue movement, healthy filling

🟡 Grade 1 (Abnormal relaxation):

E < A, slowed filling often in older adults

🟠 Grade 2 (Pseudonormal):

Looks normal, but it’s not E > A again, but due to raised LA pressure

🔴 Grade 3–4 (Restrictive filling):

E ≫ A, very poor ventricular compliance and bad prognosis