What is diastolic dysfunction?

Diastolic dysfunction is a type of heart failure, notes WebMD. It occurs when the heart contracts in a normal pattern, but the ventricles fail to relax. Stiff ventricles and a heart muscle that doesn't relax prevent the heart from filling up with blood properly.

In most cases, diastolic dysfunction responds more favorably to treatment than systolic dysfunction. These two conditions are often confused during diagnosis; however, diastolic dysfunction is characterized by a normal ejection fraction that occurs with abnormal diastolic function.

Once the diagnosis is made, diastolic dysfunction is usually treated with medications, including beta blockers, diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzymes.