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The Cardiovascular Continuum — Pathophysiology and Targets for Therapy

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Prevention of Disease Progression Throughout the Cardiovascular Continuum

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Abstract

It has become widely acknowledged that heart failure can no longer be regarded simply as a discrete clinical entity, but rather as the endpoint of a continuum of cardiovascular disease [1, 2]. Research conducted during the past decade has led to a clearer understanding of the sequence of events that leads ultimately to end-stage heart failure. A consensus statement published by Dzau and Braunwald in 1991 first outlined the concept of a cardiovascular continuum from initial risk factors, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and diabetes mellitus, through left ventricular hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction and coronary artery disease and on to heart failure (Figure 1) [1]. The concept of a continuum between these risk factors and heart failure is supported by data from epidemiological studies that have shown that hypertension and coronary artery disease (mainly through myocardial infarction) are powerful predisposing risk factors for chronic heart failure [3].

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Authors
  1. T. Unger
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Karolinska Institute, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lars E. Rydén (Professor of Cardiology) (Professor of Cardiology)

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Unger, T. (2001). The Cardiovascular Continuum — Pathophysiology and Targets for Therapy. In: Rydén, L.E. (eds) Prevention of Disease Progression Throughout the Cardiovascular Continuum. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56525-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56525-0_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-62567-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56525-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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