Urgent Call to Include Tau in the Upcoming ASE Diastolic Function Guideline

To:

Members of the ASE Executive Committee,

Members of ASE guidelines and standards committee,

Cc:kleina@ccf.org,Nagueh Sherif M.D

 

As the third version of the ASE diastolic function guideline is approaching publication, I respectfully urge the committee to give serious consideration to the inclusion of Tau, the gold standard index of left ventricular diastolic function.

In the previous two versions of the guideline, Tau was only briefly mentioned—and unfortunately, only in reference to a problematic and mathematically flawed formula originating from Harvard. That formula has been challenged for its internal inconsistency, as pointed out in PMC6558577, yet it continues to be cited. The absence of a practical, validated Tau method in the guideline leaves a major gap in our diagnostic framework and undermines our commitment to scientific rigor.

 

Over the past two decades, I have independently derived simplified Tau formulas for both mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic insufficiency (AI) patients, using pure mathematical methods rooted in pressure decay theory. These formulas have been successfully validated by independent researchers in China, including teams from the PLA General Hospital. Most notably, Mindray—China’s largest medical equipment manufacturer—launched the world’s first Echo machine capable of measuring Tau non-invasively in 2017, based on this work.

 

While Tau has been commercialized and clinically applied in China, it remains absent from daily practice in the United States, primarily due to the lack of a pragmatic, validated method. This has created an unnecessary East-West divide in diastolic function assessment. Science should transcend borders. Despite current geopolitical tensions, I believe true scientists on both sides can and should find common ground in the pursuit of medical advancement.

 

I respectfully request that the committee take this opportunity to reevaluate Tau’s role in diastology. Including a section on Tau, with up-to-date and validated methods, would significantly strengthen the credibility and completeness of the upcoming guideline.

 

I would be honored to share further data or references upon request.

 

Sincerely,

Xufang Bai, Chinese MD, PhD

April 24th, 2025