A rise in LV end-diastolic pressure with little change in EDV suggests what?

• A. Reduced LV compliance (diastolic dysfunction).
• B. Increased LV compliance.
• C. Increased preload.
• D. Decreased EDV.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the left ventricle handles filling: its compliance, or how easily it expands as volume increases. The end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship shows that a compliant ventricle can accommodate more volume with only a small rise in pressure, while a stiff ventricle (reduced compliance) shows a much larger pressure rise for a given filling.

If LV end-diastolic pressure goes up but the end-diastolic volume changes only a little, it means the ventricle is resisting filling. The chamber is stiff, so even small attempts to fill raise the pressure significantly. This pattern points to diastolic dysfunction with reduced LV compliance.

Other scenarios don’t fit as well: increased compliance would lower end-diastolic pressure for a given volume; increased preload would typically increase both volume and pressure; and decreased EDV would generally lower pressure as well. The observed rise in pressure with little change in volume fits a stiff, noncompliant ventricle.