New recommendations for evaluating left ventricular (LV) diastolic function with echocardiography have been released by the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).
The updated guideline, which will be published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, will base its approach on fewer measurements than its predecessor to facilitate patient diagnosis, according to a statement from ASE. It incorporates a new algorithm that is based on only four variables to diagnose the presence or absence of diastolic dysfunction, and it also offers a new algorithm to estimate LV filling pressures with fewer variables than the 2009 guidelines, ASE said.
The society noted that the approach is similar for patients with both depressed and normal ejection fractions. The grading of diastolic dysfunction is linked to estimation of LV filling pressures, and a single algorithm is used for both, according to ASE.
Lead author Dr. Sherif Nagueh of Weill Cornell Medical College will conduct a live webinar on May 3 at 5 p.m. EDT to discuss the guidance document. The webinar, available here, will be free for all ASE members and cost $25 for all other clinicians.
