From Adaptation to Maladaptation – An Introduction to the Spectrum of Circulatory Responses in Health and Disease

Abstract

The cardiovascular system can be described as a network of constantly oscillating physical, hormonal and neural feedback loops. They operate in a concerted fashion in order to provide the body with its daily needs. Inability to maintain cardiovascular homeostasis may be the result of relatively well-tolerated but repeated disturbances, or a single overwhelming event. The development of clinical cardiovascular disease may thus be viewed as failure to compensate for such alterations successfully.

Key Words:

• cardiovascular diseases
• circulation
• congestive heart failure
• myocardial function