Biomarkers In Heart Disease

Get a quick, expert overview of the ways in which biomarkers can be used to assess and guide the management of cardiovascular disease in the clinical setting. This concise, clinically-focused resource by Dr. Vijay Nambi consolidates today’s available information on this rapidly changing topic into one convenient resource, making it an ideal, easy-to-digest reference for cardiology practitioners, fellows, and residents. Covers lab standards and statistical interpretation of biomarkers with a clinical focus. Discusses relevant conditions such as hypertension and diabetes as key markers of injury and prognosis. Includes current information on biomarkers to assess and guide the management of heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, chest pain, shortness of breath, and more. Concludes the book with a timely chapter on how biomarkers may guide cardiologists in the future.

In the four pages committed to a discussion of myocardial infarction in the first edition of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, published in 1950, there was no mention of use of the laboratory for management of patients. Thirty years later, when the first edition of Braunwald’s Heart Disease, A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine was published, 2 out of the 1943 pages in the text contained a discussion of the laboratory examinations in acute myocardial infarction. Our knowledge base of the multitude of ways that physicians can and should use the clinical chemistry laboratory has expanded dramatically since these classic texts were published. The nomenclature has changed: terms such as “cardiac enzymes” have given way to “cardiac biomarkers. ” The number of assays has multiplied, and the operating characteristics of available assays are impr- ing at a gratifying but dizzying rate. We now use biomarkers to diagnose cardiovascular diseases and also to frame our treatment strategies. Thus, there is a clear need for a scholarly compilation of the state of the art of cardiac biomarkers. Dr. David Morrow has expertly edited an authoritative book that answers this need. The 34 chapters in Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Pathophysiology and Disease Mana- ment were written by a group of individuals who are internationally recognized thought leaders and experts in clinical and laboratory medicine.

Cardiac biomarkers such as troponins and natiuretic peptides have made a great impact on clinical decision making as well as improving our understanding of molecular mechanisms of different disease conditions. However, the biomarkers that are currently in use do not reflect all the multiple disease pathways that are involved in a broad spectrum of cardiac disease conditions ranging from acute coronary syndrome, to heart failure (and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, HFpEF), to pulmonary hypertension or arrhythmias. In this Special Issue, we will provide an overview of the current developments in the field of biomarker research, beginning with research on molecular pathways and cellular communication (e.g., microRNA) up to the clinical use of biomarkers.

The establishment of precise and reliable biomarker tests for the early stages of cardiovascular disease is of great importance and can be the cornerstone in the prevention of future cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, some biomarkers may provide important information concerning the pathogenesis of CVD or appear to be useful in risk stratification, in CVD diagnosis, or in monitoring therapy; many others may be risk factors themselves, representing therefore potential targets of therapy. The ideal biomarker should have the following characteristics: highly sensitive, specific, reliable, accessible, standardized, dependable, cost effective, and easily interpretable by clinicians. The present book focuses on the presentation and evaluation of the most promising classical and novel biochemical markers used in CVD (coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, hyperlipidemia, peripheral arterial disease). The underlying pathophysiological characteristics of each biomarker, as well as potential clinical implications in daily practice are reviewed in this book.

This book covers ACS and Heart Failure, the chapters represent the most current, up to date and knowledgeable content on the topic available. It is written by the worlds most respected leaders in biomarkers, with a majority emphasis on what clinicians need to know. The Editors and their contributors have provided algorithms, annotated case discussions and caveats. They cover biomarkers to predict risk of heart disease, biomarkers of cardiorenal disease , and conclude with a section on new and emerging biomarkers. It be genuinely helpful and practical to those in the field, including not just people working in the field, but nurses, doctors, etc who practice medicine in the clinic, the emergency department and the hospital.​

The purpose of the book is nicely worded in the introduction: 'make good doctors better'. Motivate the clinicians to use biomarkers to obtain up-to-date background knowledge regarding tools they use every day clinically, such as cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptides. Biomarkers have become essential clinical tools in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and the early diagnosis of heart failure, as well as potentially helpful tools in many other indications. Beyond doubt, Cardiac Biomarkers-Expert Advice for Clinicians will achieve its purpose. Cardiac Biomarkers-Expert Advice.

Cardiac Biomarkers in Clinical Practice was just honored with 4 Stars from Doody's Book Review! Cardiac Biomarkers in Clinical Practice presents a case based approach to biomarkers in heart diseases including heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and outpatient. Divided into six sections, this book provides physicians and other health care providers with a clear understanding of the role of biomarkers in clinical cardiovascular medicine.

Topics in this clinically focused publication devoted to Cardiac Markers include: Overview of cardiac markers in heart disease; Methodologies for measurement of cardiac markers; Natriuretic peptides in HF and ACS; Tropoinins and high sensitivity troponins; Point-of-care testing for cardiac markers; ST-2 and galectin 3 in patients with heart failure; Cardiac markers following heart surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention; Cholesterol, lipoproteins, high sensitivity CRP and other risk factors for atherosclerosis; Myocarditis and cardiac transplant and rejection; New molecular genetic tests in the diagnosis of heart disease; Biomarkers for cholesterol balance.