Echocardiographic Assessment of Postmyocardial Infarction Diastolic Dysfunction

Diastolic dysfunction has a major impact on the symptoms, treatment and prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease, and in systolic and diastolic heart failure, independent of the etiology. In coronary artery disease, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is more frequent and patients with diastolic heart failure and coronary artery disease have a higher mortality than patients with isolated diastolic heart failure. Diastolic dysfunction appears early after myocardial infarction, but there is limited information related to the exact moment or to prognosis. It is believed that left ventricular dilation after the infarction contributes to the appearance of the signs and symptoms of diastolic heart failure, with increased mortality, independent of the systolic function. Echocardiography is the main non-invasive method for the assessment of diastolic function. We aim to make an up-to-date review of the echocardiographic methods and parameters of diastolic dysfunction, and of their importance in post-myocardial infarction patients.