Snapshots of Hemodynamics

This book is written to help clinical and basic researchers, as well as graduate students, in the understanding of hemodynamics. Recent developments in genetics and molecular biology as well as new non-invasive measurement techniques, make it possible to measure and understand the hemodynamics of heart and vessels better than ever before. Hemodynamics make it possible to characterize, in a quantitative way, the function of the heart and the arterial system, thereby producing information about what genetic and molecular processes are of importance for cardiovascular function.

The layout of the book provides a short and essential overview of individual topics. It is designed as a quick reference guide and each chapter can stand alone. The chapters are written to define the basic and applied principles of the hemodynamic topic. If more details or broader perspectives are desired, the reader can refer to related chapters to which the text refers, or the textbooks listed in the 'Reference books' section in Appendix 5.

Each chapter starts with a 'box' containing a figure and caption that give the basic aspects of each topic. Chapters end with the section, 'Physiological and Clinical Relevance' that puts the information from the chapter into perspective. The section in between, 'Description', can be used to get more detailed information and find relevant references.