Approximately five litres of blood per minute is pumped around the body when it is at rest. During physical activity, stress, or threat, the amount can increase substantially.
• the pumping function of the heart can deteriorate, leading to development of cardiac failure
• the conducting system of the heart can be defective, leading to dysrhythmia.
Internal medicine
Research into internal medicine includes projects related to diseases of the heart and vessels, but also metabolism, the liver, and the kidneys. The principal scientific methods are molecular biology, cell lines, genetics, epidemiology, and prospective studies of both healthy and ill persons.
Cardiology
Cardiology deals with diseases of the heart and blood vessels. At LiU, research is directed towards ischaemic disorders (caused by disruptions in blood circulation), heart failure (reduced pumping function) and arrhythmia (various forms of dysrhythmia). Many of the national quality registers based on patients with coronary disease and heart failure are managed from Linköping, and many ongoing research projects get their data from this register.
Cardiovascular physiology
The mechanical properties of blood vessels have great significance for heart function and the development of cardiovascular diseases. The processes in the vessel walls are largely unknown. Research in the field is managed in collaboration with the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV) and the technical divisions of Medical Technology and Applied Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics.
Clinical physiology
Clinical physiology is a link between preclinical basic research and its clinical counterparts within various specialities. The field also binds technical and medical science together through developing and evaluating new tools for research and diagnostics. Research at LiU focuses on functions and diagnosis in cardiovascular disease.
Thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery at LiU focuses on cardiac metabolism in connection with surgical procedures, as well as mechanical heart devises as support in serious heart failure.