Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology

In left ventricular heart failure, often a distinction is made between patients with a reduced and a preserved ejection fraction (EF). As EF is a composite metric of both the end-diastolic volume (EDV) and the end-systolic ventricular volume (ESV), the lucidity of the EF is sometimes questioned. As an alternative, the ESV–EDV graph is advocated. This study identifies the dependence of the EF and the EDV–ESV graph on the major determinants of ventricular performance. Numerical simulations were made using a model of the systemic circulation, consisting of an atrium–ventricle valves combination; a simple constant pressure as venous filling system; and a three-element Windkessel extended with a venous system. ESV–EDV graphs and EFs were calculated using this model while varying one by one the filling pressure, diastolic and systolic ventricular elastances, and diastolic pressure in the aorta. In conclusion, the ESV–EDV graph separates between diastolic and systolic dysfunction while the EF encompasses these two pathologies. Therefore, the ESV–EDV graph can provide an advantage over EF in heart failure studies.