Usefulness of Plasma Brain Natriuretic Peptide Measurement and Tissue Doppler Imaging in Identifying Isolated Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Without Heart Failure

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction carries a substantial risk for the subsequent development of heart failure and reduced survival, even when it is asymptomatic. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and tissue Doppler imaging indexes provide powerful incremental assessment of LV diastolic function. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to clarify whether these methodologies could identify LV diastolic dysfunction without heart...