A potential clinical application of the end systolic pressure volume relationship to the treatment of heart failure

The linear nature of the end systolic pressure volume relationship and the reduced compliance of the ventricle in failure are used to write an equation that predicts the end systolic pressure needed to achieve a desired cardiac index and to write an equation that predicts what the cardiac index will be at a given end systolic pressure. This would be useful both in guiding afterload reduction therapy and in prospectively assessing its potential.