A 72-year-old man is admitted to the hospital due to fatigue, orthopnea, and exertional dyspnea. The patient is not on any medications and has not seen a doctor in many years. He has never smoked in his life. His blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg, and his pulse rate is 64 beats per minute. Bibasilar crackles, elevated jugular venous pressure, and bilateral lower extremity pitting edema are discovered during the examination. The graph below depicts his left ventricular end-diastolic pressure-volume (purple curve). Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

Question

A 72-year-old man is admitted to the hospital due to fatigue, orthopnea, and exertional dyspnea. The patient is not on any medications and has not seen a doctor in many years. He has never smoked in his life. His blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg, and his pulse rate is 64 beats per minute. Bibasilar crackles, elevated jugular venous pressure, and bilateral lower extremity pitting edema are discovered during the examination. The graph below depicts his left ventricular end-diastolic pressure-volume (purple curve).  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is characterized by normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, normal LV end-diastolic volume, and elevated LV filling pressures and is caused by decreased ventricular compliance. DHF is commonly caused by hypertension, obesity, and infiltrative disorders (e.g., transthyretin-related amyloidosis, sarcoidosis).

A 72-Year-Old Man Is Admitted to the Hospital Due to Fatigue