Pathophysiology of cardiomyopathies: Part I. Animal models and humans

With the growing incidence of heart disease there is a need for new and better animal models that mimic human pathology. Investigators are encouraged to employ an interactive and collaborative approach to the study of heart failure; doing so may clarify many of the discrepancies found in the literature. It is clear from recent studies in animals that the pathophysiology may differ significantly between models, even though the endpoint, heart failure, has been attained. These observations indicate that etiologic factors as well as species and/or strain play a significant role in the cardiomyopathy. Investigators must now look beyond simply attaining the clinical syndrome of heart failure and ascertain which aspects of heart failure they are attempting to define and investigate.