The cardiovascular continuum refined: A hypothesis

Abstract

In the light of recent advances in the understanding of cardiovascular disease processes, this article presents an update on the cardiovascular continuum and early intervention targets to prevent disease manifestation and potentially reverse disease progression. It addresses markers of disease progression (urinary albumin excretion, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, natriuretic peptides, estimated glomerular filtration rate), manifestations of cardiovascular disease such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and future directions for therapeutic Östrategies with cardiovascular progression prediction tools. The combination of proteomic biomarkers with clinical phenotypes and genetic haplotype information may also aid prognosis of individual cardiovascular risk in a near future. © 2010 Scandinavian Foundation for Cardiovascular Research.