Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is estimated to occur in 40% to 50% of patients with heart failure. Evidence suggests that DHF is primarily a cardiogeriatric syndrome that increases from approximately 1% at age 50 years to 10% or more at 80 years. DHF is also more likely to occur in older women who are hypertensive or diabetic. Although survival is better in patients with DHF compared with systolic heart failure, mortality rates for patients with DHF are four times higher than those for healthy, community-dwelling older adults.
