Diastolic dysfunction is an important cause of the clinical syndrome of congestive heart failure. Traditionally, the syndrome of pulmonary congestion due to the elevation of left heart filling pressure has been attributed to the depressed ability of the heart to eject blood during systole, with a secondary increase in left ventricular volume. However, heart failure can also occur when the left ventricle fails to receive blood during diastole at low filling pressures. With a mild degree of resistance of the left ventricle to diastolic filling, the initial hemodynamic manifestation may just be the elevation of left ventricular diastolic pressure and pulmonary venous pressure. More severe resistance to left ventricular filling may cause an inadequate extent of diastolic filling and insufficient myofiber stretch, which results in the depression of stroke volume. In this review, the factors contributing to diastolic dysfunction are discussed, with a particular focus on the role of diastolic heart failure in patients with ischemic heart disease or hypertrophy.