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Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Echocardiographic Approaches and Protocols for Comprehensive Phenotypic Characterization of Valvular Heart Disease in Mice
Published on: February 14, 2017
Species-Spanning Echocardiography: Cardiovascular Insights from Across the Animal Kingdom
B N Horowitz1,2,3, Ilana B Kutinsky4, Annika Linde5
1Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. natterson-horowitz@fas.harvard.edu.
Purpose Of Review:
The objective of this review is to present comparative echocardiography as a source of insights for human cardiovascular medicine.
Recent Findings:
We present echocardiographic examples of high impact human cardiovascular pathologies, including valvular, vascular, conduction, and myocardial disorders, in a wide range of species in varying environments. Unique features associated with comparative echocardiographic assessments are linked to human cardiology, including natural animal models of resistance and vulnerability. The cardiovascular vulnerabilities and strengths of other species can be a source of invaluable insights for human healthcare professionals. Echocardiography is playing a key role in bridging human and veterinary cardiology. Consequently, species-spanning echocardiography can deliver novel insights for human medicine.
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