This book summarizes present knowledge of different mechanisms involved in the development of positive and negative consequences of cardiac adaptation. Particular attention is paid to the still underestimated adaptive cardiac responses during development, to adaptation to the frequently occurring pressure and volume overload as well as to cardiac changes, induced by enduring exercise and chronic hypoxia. Cardiac Adaptations will be of great value to cardiovascular investigators, who will find this book highly useful in their cardiovascular studies for finding solutions in diverse pathological conditions; it will also appeal to students, fellows, scientists, and clinicians interested in cardiovascular abnormalities.

The effective management of Cardiac remodeling(CR), remains a major challenge. Heart failure remains the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. Yet, despite the enormity of the problem, effective therapeutic interventions remain elusive. In fact, several initially promising agents were found to decrease mortality in patients recovering from myocardial infarction. Cardiac remodeling is defined as molecular and interstitial changes, manifested clinically by changes in size, mass , geometry and function of the heart in response to certain aggression. Initially, ventricular remodeling aims to maintain stable cardiac function in situations of aggression.

Hypertensive disorders are among the most common medical complications of pregnancy, with an incidence of approximately 6-10%. This spectrum of conditions includes essential hypertension, pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. For patients with pre-existing hypertension, management ideally commences prior to conception, and continues through pregnancy to the postnatal period. This book provides information on the evidence-based management of women with hypertension throughout pregnancy, supported by important background information on the etiology, risk-factors and pathophysiology of these disorders. Illustrated with accompanying algorithms, tables and lists for quick reference on diagnostic criteria, drugs and side-effects, this book will help clinicians rapidly gain access to the information they need to care for these patients. This will to be of interest to all grades of obstetric trainees as well as specialists, obstetric anesthetists and anesthetic trainees, midwives and maternal-fetal physicians.

Research centering on blood flow in the heart continues to hold an important position, especially since a better understanding of the subject may help reduce the incidence of coronary arterial disease and heart attacks. This book summarizes recent advances in the field; it is the product of fruitful cooperation among international scientists who met in Japan in May, 1990 to discuss the regulation of coronary blood flow.

An up-to-date synthesis of comparative diving physiology research, illustrating the features of dive performance and its biomedical and ecological relevance.

Advanced Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology details the effect of acute and chronic exercise training on each component of the cardiovascular system and how those components adapt to and benefit from a systematic program of exercise training.

This presentation describes various aspects of the regulation of tissue oxygenation, including the roles of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and blood, the carrier of oxygen within these components of the cardiorespiratory system. The respiratory system takes oxygen from the atmosphere and transports it by diffusion from the air in the alveoli to the blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries. The cardiovascular system then moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the microcirculation of the various organs by convection, where oxygen is released from hemoglobin in the red blood cells and moves to the parenchymal cells of each tissue by diffusion. Oxygen that has diffused into cells is then utilized in the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of all cells. The mitochondria are able to produce ATP until the oxygen tension or PO2 on the cell surface falls to a critical level of about 4–5 mm Hg. Thus, in order to meet the energetic needs of cells, it is important to maintain a continuous supply of oxygen to the mitochondria at or above the critical PO2 . In order to accomplish this desired outcome, the cardiorespiratory system, including the blood, must be capable of regulation to ensure survival of all tissues under a wide range of circumstances. The purpose of this presentation is to provide basic information about the operation and regulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the properties of the blood and parenchymal cells, so that a fundamental understanding of the regulation of tissue oxygenation is achieved.

Cardiac problems in athletic individuals are rare, but when they occur can be devastating. This book provides a definitive review of current practice and thinking surrounding the often difficult and life-changing practice of sports cardiology. Topics which remain a challenge for practitioners, athletes and families are investigated, including cardiovascular screening, exercise participation prescription, and prevention strategies for sudden cardiac arrest. Also given are guidelines for diagnosis, management and prevention of specific cardiac illnesses.This second edition includes new information on a number of key issues surrounding modern sports and cardiology, including the athlete at altitude, heat stress in athletes, exercise aspects of swimming and diving and ergogenics in the cardiac care of athletes. Additionally, further details are given on new research related to sports and exercise for individuals with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, advanced echocardiography in athletes and non-compaction cardiomyopathy.Building on the first edition, Exercise and Sports Cardiology (2nd Edition) provides cardiologists, physicians, coaches, trainers and medical students and researchers with a comprehensive go-to reference for modern day concerns in the expanding field of sports cardiology research and treatment.

Biology of Antarctic Fish presents the most recent findings on the biology of fish in the unique environment of the Antarctic ocean. At present the year-round temperature of the coastal waters is very near -1,87 ° C, the equilibrium temperature of the ice-seawater mixture. This extremely low temperature affects different levels of organization of fish life: individuals, organ systems, cells, organelles, membranes, and molecules. Exploring ecology, evolution, and life history as well as physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of Antarctic fish the book describes the mechanisms of cold adaptation at all these levels. It provides material for discussion also for fundamental questions in the field of adaptation to an extreme environment and therefore is of particular interest not only to specialized scientists, but also to those involved in basic and evolutionary biology.