**1. Introduction**

96 Echocardiography – In Specific Diseases

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Verdecchia, P.; Reboldi, G.; Gattobigio, R.; Bentivoglio, M.; Borgioni, C.; Angeli, F.;

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92, No. 7, (October 1995), pp. 1954-1968, ISSN 0009-7322

ISSN 0002-9149

0033-0620

ISSN 1346-9843

pp. 218-223, ISSN 0194-911X

transmitral flow indexes and risk of atrial fibrillation (the Framingham Heart Study). *American Journal of Cardiology* Vol. 91, No. 9, (May 2003), pp. 1079-1083,

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Miyatake, K. & Yamagishi, M. (1998). Comparison of automatic boundary detection and manual tracking technique in echocardiographic determination of left atrial volume. *Japanese Circulation Journal* Vol. 62, No. 10, (October 1998), pp. 755-759, Impaired systolic performance and/or diastolic function have long been detrimental consequences of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite considerable therapeutic improvements, left ventricular dysfunction secondary to infarction continues to pose serious health complications, including heart failure (HF), wherein the heart is unable to maintain a cardiac output appropriate for the requirements of the body. Several factors contribute to HF, including adverse ventricular remodeling, progressive hypertrophy and sustained cell death by apoptosis. Therefore, the search for a therapeutic strategy to overcome or mitigate the progression of HF is of paramount importance.
