Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children, 7e

Book Preface

Pathophysiology incorporates basic, translational, and clinical research to advance understandings of disease and dysfunction. The study of pathophysiology involves many biomedical sciences and a wide range of research activities. Multiple aspects of cellular physiology are progressing rapidly, generating vast amounts of data to understand. The information expansion involves a greater understanding of the behavior of individual cells, of their neighboring microenvironment, and of the molecules that not only make up those cells but also communicate with their surroundings.

Importantly, the forward movement of biomedical sciences occurs within the context of social, economic, and political processes that determine how disease is defined, experienced, and treated. Interdisciplinary research has led to significant advancements in genetics, epigenetics, cell signaling and communication, control of cell behavior, metabolism, and cell fate. Knowledge about normal cell structures and signaling pathways is at the forefront of translational science. Advancements in tools to observe cells have provided new understanding of cellular processes including migration of tumor cells, responses of the immune system, and influences of the microenvironment. Investigators are studying if or how early life events affect health and disease into adulthood and across generations. A wide range of research is centered on microbial mechanisms of pathogenesis, immune responses, epidemiology, and drug efficacy and resistance.

Although these advancements have created an ever-increasing state of excitement, they have also created the problem of how students, teachers, and clinicians can cope with the expanding new information. Compressing these data into simplified discussions for students and clinicians is challenging. Our approach in this book has been to present an organized, logical sequence of content based on current literature and research reports with understandable explanations and accompanied by illustrations and summary tables. The primary focus is on pathophysiology, and there is less emphasis on the evaluation and treatment that is found in clinical management textbooks. As in previous editions, the following is a list of our specific goals for the textbook:

• Draw attention to differences in etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment according to gender and age.

• Pay careful attention to presentations of emerging new data on controversial topics.

• Integrate health promotion and disease prevention by updating risk factors, explaining certain relationships between nutrition and disease, and referencing screening recommendations and other therapeutic approaches.