Author Description

Focusing primarily on the distribution of blood flow and its regulation in humans, this well-illustrated study illuminates the overall control of the human cardiovascular system. Combined for the first time in a single volume are discussions of how peripheral vascular beds are controlled in humans, how these control mechanisms interact with those of cardiac performance and the central circulation, and how this vasomotor regulation serves the whole organism, especially under condition of stress. The author also redresses an imbalance found in contemporary cardiovasculary physiology, where the "cardio" is often emphasized at the expense of the "vascular." Rowell stresses the importance of the passive properties of the venous system and argues that the human cardiovascular system has unique properties and strategies for the distribution of blood flow that are rarely observed in other species, a view that will attract attention and stimulate discussion among cardiovascular experts.