Overview
Patients at risk for developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) will undergo a structured clinical assessment, transthoracic echocardiography and pulse-wave analysis to investigate the association of arterial stiffening and the development of cardiac diastolic dysfuntion and HFpEF.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
One or more of the following criteria:
- Age > 60 years
- Arterial hypertension (RR systolic ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic ≥ 90 mmHg or ≥ 2 antihypertensive drugs)
- Diabetes mellitus Type I or II
- Atrial fibrillation
- Chronic kidney disease (GFR < 60 ml/min/1,73 m2 or urine albumin ≥ 30mg/24h or ACR ≥ 30 mg/g)
- BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2
- NYHA ≥ II
- E/e' > 8
Exclusion Criteria:
- Left ventricular ejection fraction < 50 %
- Significant valve disease (Grade III or higher)
- History of interventional or surgical valve repair
- Regional wall motion abnormalities
- Respiratory diseases as a known cause for dyspnea
- Atrial flutter or fibrillation during examination
- Hypertrophic/restrictive/arrhythmogenic/dilatative cardiomyopathies including cardiac amyloidosis or sarcoidosis and toxic cardiomyopathy
- History of heart transplantation