Diastolic Relaxation of the Heart: Basic Research and Current Applications for Clinical Cardiology by William Grossman

This book represents an edited compilation of the scientific presentations given at an Interna- high-energy state. This transition results from tional Symposium on the Physiology of Diastole the opening of membrane pores that allow in Health and Disease, September 11 to 14, calcium to rush into the cytosol, triggering 1986, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Numerous excitation-contraction coupling. If the energy studies have documented the importance of available to sarcoplasmic reticular and sarcolem- diastolic dysfunction in clinical heart disease. In mal calcium pumps was insufficient to remove recent years clinicians have become increasingly this calcium from the cytosol and res tore the aware that many patients with congestive heart 1O,OOO-fold calcium gradient, characteristic of failure have completely normal myocardial con- the "resting" myocyte, we would live for one tractile function.