PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CARDIOMYOPATHIES .1. ANIMAL-MODELS AND HUMANS

With the growing incidence of heart disease there is a need for new an d better animal models that mimic human pathology. Investigators are e ncouraged to employ an interactive and collaborative approach to the s tudy of heart failure; doing so may clarify many of the discrepancies found in the literature. It is clear from recent studies in animals th at the pathophysiology may differ significantly between models, even t hough the endpoint, heart failure, has been attained. These observatio ns indicate that etiologic factors as well as species and/or strain pl ay a significant role in the cardiomyopathy. Investigators must now lo ok beyond simply attaining the clinical syndrome of heart failure and ascertain which aspects of heart failure they are attempting to define and investigate.