Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts
                                    Richard E. Klabunde, Ph.D.

Heart Failure Tutorial 

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1. What is heart failure?  click here

2. What is the incidence and prognosis for heart failure?   click here

3. List several conditions that can cause heart failure.   click here

4. What is systolic dysfunction in heart failure?  click here

5. How does systolic dysfunction alter ventricular stroke volume, end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes, and ejection fraction?  click here

6. What is the role of the Frank-Starling mechanism in cardiac compensation to reduced inotropy?  click here

7. What changes in signal transduction mechanisms might cause systolic dysfunction?  click here

8. What alterations in excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms might cause systolic dysfunction?  click here

9. What is diastolic dysfunction?  click here

10. What role might altered sarcoplasmic reticulum function play in diastolic dysfunction?  click here

11. How does ventricular hypertrophy affect diastolic function?  click here

12. How does diastolic dysfunction affect ventricular stroke volume, ventricular end-diastolic volume and pressure, and ejection fraction?  click here

13. What neurohumoral changes occur in heart failure?  click here

14. How does the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system served as a compensatory mechanism in heart failure?  click here

15. How does atrial natriuretic peptide serve as a counter regulatory mechanism to the renin-angiotensin-system?  click here

16. By what mechanism does heart failure cause either pulmonary or systemic edema?  click here

DISCLAIMER: These materials are for educational purposes only, and are not a source of medical decision-making advice.

© 1999-2008 Richard E. Klabunde, all rights reserved.