Which treatment may be beneficial for systolic dysfunction but harmful for diastolic dysfunction?

Vasodilators are beneficial in treating systolic dysfunction because they help reduce the workload on the heart by lowering systemic vascular resistance, which in turn can assist in managing heart failure by improving cardiac output. In cases of systolic dysfunction, the heart's ability to contract is impaired, and vasodilators can improve blood flow and reduce heart strain.

However, in diastolic dysfunction, the heart's ability to fill properly during diastole is compromised. The use of vasodilators can potentially worsen this condition by further lowering preload, which is the volume of blood in the ventricles before contraction. A reduced preload can lead to inadequate filling of the heart chambers and, consequently, a decline in cardiac output. Thus, while vasodilators may alleviate symptoms in systolic dysfunction, they can be counterproductive and harmful for patients with diastolic dysfunction, where maintaining adequate volume during filling is crucial for heart function.