Diastolic heart failure: diagnosis and treatment.

The most frequent hospital diagnosis-related group is congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF increases dramatically with age, making it an important problem in our aging population. CHF is caused by a primary abnormality in diastolic function (diastolic heart failure [DHF]) in 50% of patients with CHF who are > 70 years of age. Mortality rates in patients with DHF are comparable to those of patients with systolic heart failure, approaching 50% over 5 years. Successful therapy of DHF requires making a correct diagnosis, identifying the underlying cause, and applying specific and individualized treatment.