Systolic and diastolic heart failure, what is the difference between the two?

Heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart muscle is unable to pump blood properly as usual. One type of heart failure is left side heart failure. This type is still divided into two types, namely systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure. What are the two meanings? Check out a complete explanation of left heart failure in the following article.

Left-sided type of heart failure

Based on the classification from the American Heart Association (AHA), left heart failure is divided into two types, namely systolic and diastolic heart failure. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium, then into the left ventricle which pumps it to all parts of the body.

The greatest power of the heart pump is obtained from the left ventricle, therefore it is larger than the rest of the heart. If heart failure occurs in the left ventricle, the left heart has to work harder in order to pump blood as needed. There are two types of left-sided heart failure:

Systolic heart failure

Systolic heart failure is also known as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF). Yes, the type of heart failure is determined based on the so-called measurementejection fraction. This measurement determines how much blood in the ventricles is pumped out each time a contraction occurs.

Under normal conditions, the amount of blood pumped out by the ventricle is 55% of the total blood in the left ventricle. So when the left side of the heart does not pump blood normally as usual, this condition is known as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Usually, when there is systolic heart failure, the blood pumped out of the left ventricle is only 40% or less. Of course, the amount of blood pumped is less than what is needed by the body. Usually, this condition is caused by an enlarged left ventricle so that it cannot pump blood normally.

Causes of systolic heart failure

Systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure tend to have different causes. For systolic heart failure, the causes are as follows:

• Coronary heart disease or heart attack

Yes, one of the symptoms of systolic heart failure can occur due to coronary heart disease or a heart attack, which is a heart health problem that occurs because there is a blockage in the arteries that limits the amount of blood flow to the heart.

If left untreated, this condition can weaken or even damage the heart muscle, so it can't work to pump blood.

• Cardiomyopathy

Apart from heart attack, another cause of systolic heart failure is cardiomipathy. This condition is a disorder that occurs in the heart muscle. This causes the heart muscle to weaken, which affects its ability to pump blood properly.

• High blood pressure

One of the complications of hypertension or high blood pressure is systolic heart failure. This occurs when the normal blood pressure becomes elevated in the arteries. High blood pressure causes the heart to have to work harder to pump blood out. Over time the heart muscle will weaken and can no longer pump blood normally.

• Aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis is a disorder of the heart valves. Usually, the heart valve narrows so that it doesn't open completely. This of course makes blood flow obstructed.

As with many previous problems, this condition causes the heart to have to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed valve. Over time, the heart muscle will weaken and cause systolic heart failure.

• Mitral regurgitation

This heart health problem is also the cause of this one type of left-sided heart failure. Yes, this abnormality in the heart's mitral valve causes a leak in the left heart because the mitral valve cannot close completely.

This causes the amount of blood volume to increase and weakens the heart muscle which then becomes the cause of systolic heart failure.

• Myocarditis

This condition occurs when there is a viral infection in the heart muscle. This can cause inflammation of the heart muscle and affect its ability to pump blood. As before, weakening of the heart muscle causes systolic heart failure.

• Arrhythmia

Meanwhile, arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms can also cause reduced effectiveness of the blood pump to the heart. This is also a heart health problem that causes systolic heart failure.

Diastolic heart failure

Diastolic heart failure is also determined based on a measurement called ejection fraction.This means that heart failure also occurs because the amount of blood pumped throughout the body is not as needed.

In fact, when diastolic heart failure occurs, the left ventricle can still pump blood properly. It's just that, the ventricles can turn stiff so they can't fill with as much blood as they would normally. In contrast to heart failure because reduction ejection fraction, when diastolic heart failure occurs ejection fractionit is 50% or more.

Althoughejection fractionclassified as normal, the heart has a smaller amount of blood to be pumped throughout the body. This causes the amount of blood pumped throughout the body is also less than the normal amount. So this condition is known as diastolic heart failure.

Causes of diastolic heart failure

Some of the causes of diastolic heart failure are as follows:

• Coronary heart disease

Similar to systolic heart failure, coronary heart disease is also a cause of diastolic heart failure. However, narrowing of the arteries so that it blocks blood flow to the heart has a different effect.

This lower blood flow than normal conditions can prevent the heart muscle from relaxing, resulting in the muscles becoming stiffer than normal. This condition makes blood unable to fill the heart as normal. This condition causes diastolic heart failure.

• Hypertension

Apart from causing systolic heart failure, hypertension can also be a cause of diastolic heart failure. When experiencing hypertension, the walls of the heart become thicker than usual. The goal is to fight or suppress high blood pressure.

The thickened wall of the heart makes the heart stiffer and cannot accommodate as much blood as when the heart muscle is relaxed. This is what causes diastolic heart failure.

• Aortic stenosis

As with systolic heart failure, aortic stenosis can also be a cause of diastolic heart failure. When the heart valve narrows, the left ventricle becomes thickened, limiting the amount of blood that can get into it.

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

This common hereditary problem with the heart muscle causes the wall of the left ventricle to thicken. This condition prevents blood from being able to fill the ventricle. This is what causes diastolic heart failure.

• Pericardial disease

This heart health problem occurs because of abnormalities that occur in the pericardium, which is the layer that surrounds the heart. The liquid contained in thepercardial space or the thickened layers of the pericardium and pericardium can limit the heart's ability to fill with blood. As with many previous conditions, this can lead to diastolic heart failure.

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