Everyone is familiar with white adipose or fat tissue, which provides insulation and, by storing triglyceride, serves as an energy depot. Many mammals also have brown adipose tissue, which also stores triglyceride, but has the unique ability to generate heat.
Diastolic heart failure, a major cause of morbidity and mortality, is defined as symptoms of heart failure in a patient with preserved left ventricular function. It is characterized by a stiff left ventricle with decreased compliance and impaired relaxation, which leads to increased end diastolic pressure. Signs and symptoms are similar to those of heart failure with systolic dysfunction.
The first reading, the systolic pressure, measures the pressure when the heart is pumping blood to the body through the arteries. The second reading, the diastolic pressure, measures the pressure within the arteries when the heart is receiving blood returning from the body. There needs to be an underlying pressure within arterial blood vessels regardless of whether the heart is pumping or not.