biomarkers

Sepsis is a major cause of death in hospitalised patients accounting for mortality rates as high as 60% and, hence, is called ‘a hidden public health disaster’. Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis is not a disease but is a clinical syndrome, where the initial features are nonspecific resulting in delayed diagnosis. Lack of specific laboratory tests to diagnose the syndrome adds to the diagnostic confusion.

Aortic stenosis is common and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Prevalence will increase significantly in forthcoming decades as a function of the ageing population; treatment by means of surgery or percutaneous intervention is expensive. Epidemiological, mechanistic and interventional studies are therefore vital to determine optimal and innovative treatments and their funding.