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Cardiac Lymphatics: An Example of Systems Biology in Medicine

Jeffrey Bland

    Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif.)
    |March 19, 2019
    PubMed

    Insights

    The 1981 Lemole model for cardiac lymphatic drainage and atherosclerosis origin was ahead of its time. It pioneered systems biology in cardiology, linking lifestyle factors to heart disease understanding.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Systems Biology
    • Medical History

    Background:

    • The 1981 Lemole cardiac lymphatic drainage model proposed a novel perspective on atherosclerosis origin.
    • This model was rooted in a systems biology approach, which was a nascent concept in 1981.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To re-evaluate the 1981 Lemole model for cardiac lymphatic drainage in light of current understanding.
    • To highlight the prescient nature of the Lemole hypothesis regarding atherosclerosis.
    • To connect the Lemole model to the principles of functional medicine.

    Main Methods:

    • Historical analysis of the 1981 Lemole model.
    • Evaluation from a 2017 perspective.
    • Comparison with contemporary systems biology and functional medicine concepts.

    Main Results:

    • The 1981 Lemole model is considered highly prescient when viewed from 2017.
    • The hypothesis integrated systems thinking into cardiology.
    • It emphasized lifestyle factors and physical medicine for cardiac disease prevention and treatment.

    Conclusions:

    • The Lemole hypothesis pioneered a systems biology approach to understanding atherosclerosis.
    • This approach laid groundwork for mechanistic understanding of cardiac disease.
    • The model's principles align with the heuristic of the functional medicine model.

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