Natriuretic Peptides

The rapid knowledge in the field of neuro-humoral regulation of cardiovascular pathophysiology is changing the picture of current diagnosis and treatment of cardiac patients.§The emerging conceptual revolutionary idea is that heart acts not as a pump, merely, but as a "gland", that is as a regulator of circulatory homeostasis and salt-water balance.§Cardiovascular pathophysiology has to be written, indeed, on this basis: this physiology textbook gives an up-to-date description of the complexity and novelty of actual knowledge, with all its potential clinical implications.Modern cardiovascular science has produced a revolutionary new idea: the heart acts not merely as a pump, but as a "gland", that is as a regulator of circulatory homeostasis and salt-water balance. This book combines the classical heamodynamic view with the new neuro-hormonal paradigm, in all its potential clinical implications. The book will interest physiologists and clinicians involved in the study of the cardiovascular system and care of heart patients.The rapid evergrowing knowledge in the field of neuro-humoral regulation of cardiovascular pathophysiology is changing the picture of current diagnosis and treatment of cardiac patients. The emerging conceptual revolutionary idea is that heart acts not as a pump, merely, but as a "gland", that is as a regulator of circulatory homeostasis and salt-water balance.§Cardiovascular pathophysiology has to be written, indeed, on this basis: no physiology textbook is up-to-date in describing the complexity and novelty of actual knowledge. The platea of either physiologists or clinicians involved in the study of the cardiovascular system and care of heart patients will accept with favour such an approach, combining the classical heamodynamic view with the new neuro-hormonal paradigma.