Diastolic Dysfuncti vs. CHF Question

Please explain the difference between diastolic dysfunction and heart failure.

I was originally told I had heart failure, then later the cardiologist said 'not quite heart failure and wrote "diastolic dysfunction" to my internist who insists that that is not heart failure.

I recently felt ill, short of breath and had one night in which my breathing "wheezed" and "clicked" all night from my throat.  Then I had an echocardiogram and received a message from the cardiologist's
office that the results were "normal."

I take medication for high blood pressure, high cholesteral and my constant atrial fibrillation which My internist says the atrial fib is "uncorrectable" at this point... saying "It's too late."  She also told me that my cardiologist is watching me closely to see if I do go into heart failure... WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR ME?

I am 69 and otherwise healthy.  I am 5'6" and weigh 157 lbs and hope to lose at least 10 lbs.   I've been very careful to avoid salt.  My internist told me that the only thing I can do to help my condition is to exercise.   I need to know the difference between diastolic dysfunction and heart failure and how to best avoid heart failure if, in fact, I don't have mild heart failure already.

Any help from you would be most appreciated.   Thank you.

[kenkeith]

Systole dysfunction would be heart failure.  Heart failure happens when the heart does not pump an adequate supply of blood with each stroke.  Normal output is a range of 55-75% of the left ventricle and is medically refered to as ejection fraction (EF).

If the EF drops below 29% that usually puts one into heart failure mode.  Symptoms would be shortness of breath, dry cough due to pulmonary edema (blood backs up into the lungs and fluids leak into the tissues) as more blood is received than pumped out.  This would be congested heart failure and the progression of a low EF.  Cause can be enlarged left ventricle, viral muscle damge, scarred tissue from a previous heart attack.

Diastolic dysfunction is usually due to left or right chambers inability to adequately fill due.  Problem can happen with AF as there is not enough time due to rapid heart rate; the chamber loses its elasticity and does not completely relax...its a filling disorder and heart failure is a pumping problem.

Diastolic dysfunction can/will eventually cause heart failure if not successfully treated.

Four years ago I was in ICU for congested heart failure.  Exercise, diet, medication, etc. has normalized heart size, and EF is 59% up from below 29%.