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Introduction to Cardiac Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology

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Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

The cardiovascular system is one of the most critical and disease-prone organ systems in the body. The heart and surrounding blood vessels are responsible for delivering oxygen-rich blood from the lungs throughout the body and returning deoxygenated blood from the body toward the lungs. Cessation or decreased function of this system may occur through many mechanisms involving the nerves supplying the heart, the muscle of the heart itself, and the blood vessels feeding the heart and surrounding organs. In this chapter, we discuss the anatomy of the cardiovascular system, pathology that may affect its function, and tests that may be done to detect and prevent such disease. This chapter includes discussion of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. These diseases will be described from both the basic and clinical perspectives to lay the foundation for a more detailed discussion of such topics in later chapters of this handbook.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Amit Shah

  2. Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Shabnam Seydafkan

  3. Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions & College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    David Sheps

Authors
  1. Amit Shah
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  2. Shabnam Seydafkan
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  3. David Sheps
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Shari R. Waldstein

  2. Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Willem J. Kop

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Edward C. Suarez

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

    William R. Lovallo

  5. Division of Gerontology Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Leslie I. Katzel

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© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Shah, A., Seydafkan, S., Sheps, D. (2022). Introduction to Cardiac Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology. In: Waldstein, S.R., Kop, W.J., Suarez, E.C., Lovallo, W.R., Katzel, L.I. (eds) Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85960-6_2

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