Discuss the cellular basis of diastolic dysfunction Essay

Discuss the cellular basis of diastolic dysfunction - Essay Example This phase comprises of the systole. As soon as the systole begins, the mitral and tricuspid valves shut close tightly in order to prevent any backflow of blood into the atria. At the same time, the pulmonary and the aortic valves are pushed open, leading to a flow of blood from right ventricle to lungs and from the left ventricle to the whole body, after getting oxygenated from the lungs. In the patients with diastolic dysfunction, the ventricles fail to relax normally during this phase of cardiac cycle. This leads to an increase in the pressure inside the ventricles when the blood returns from the second heart beat. This pressure is thus transferred to the lungs vasculature as well, leading to the pulmonary congestion as well as to the blood vessels, returning back to the heart, leading to the systemic congestion. The primary abnormality in left diastolic dysfunction is the left ventricular relaxation. This results in a high diastolic pressure along with the poor filling of the ventricles. As a compensatory mechanism, the left atrial pressure increases in order to increase the diastolic filling. This increase in the left atrial pressure continues, until it exceeds the hydrostatic and oncotic pressures in the pulmonary capillaries and eventually leading to pulmonary edema. These patients generally show the symptoms of exertion when there is a reduction in the ventricular filling time, during the times of increased cardiac activity. The circulating catecholamines further worsen the whole scenario. [5] According to Michael R. Zile, MD, Charles Ezra Daniel, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina; the difference between the systolic heart failure and the diastolic heart failure lies in the amount of ejection fraction during the two conditions. In systolic heart failure, there is heart failure, but with a decreased ejection fraction, while in