Noninvasive Elastography Evaluation of Myocardial Stiffness in Elderly Patients With Isolated Diastolic Heart Failure: New Diagnostic Tool?

This study is testing a non-invasive way to measure heart muscle stiffness using a special type of ultrasound called elastography. It is being studied in elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure where the heart is too stiff to fill properly (diastolic heart failure), to see if this new technique can help diagnose and track the condition. **You may be eligible if...** - You were admitted to a cardiology ward for acute fluid buildup in the lungs due to heart failure - Your blood marker for heart failure (BNP) is elevated at 35 pg/ml or above - Your echocardiogram shows structural changes consistent with heart failure - You fall into one of three groups: normal heart pumping with stiffness, mildly reduced pumping, or significantly reduced pumping **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have another lung condition causing the fluid buildup - You have a different type of heart disease as the primary cause - You are pregnant or unable to have an MRI or echocardiography - Your ultrasound imaging quality is too poor to assess Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.