Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function: an update.

Echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic properties and assessment of hemodynamic status of the right and the left ventricle have been traditionally applied for many years in clinical practice. Establishment of diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction, grading, and estimation of filling pressures noninvasively adds prognostic information to the clinician, which may affect treatment management. Novel methods, including left atrium strain, left ventricular diastolic strain rate, and left ventricular untwisting rate, have been imported in clinical practice attempting to provide a more comprehensive and more accurate understanding of the mechanisms and diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction.