Aims & Scope
Research Scope
Cardiovascular Physiology
- Cardiac output regulation and determinants
- Myocardial contractility mechanisms
- Ventricular function and pressure-volume relationships
- Cardiac cycle dynamics and timing
- Heart rate variability and autonomic modulation
- Electrophysiological coupling to mechanical function
Hemodynamic Regulation
- Arterial pressure control mechanisms
- Baroreceptor reflex physiology and sensitivity
- Vascular resistance regulation
- Blood flow distribution and autoregulation
- Pressure wave transmission and reflection
- Microcirculatory hemodynamics
Vascular Physiology
- Endothelial function and signaling
- Smooth muscle contractility and relaxation
- Vascular tone regulation mechanisms
- Arterial stiffness and compliance
- Vascular remodeling processes
- Endothelium-dependent vasodilation pathways
Autonomic Control Systems
- Sympathetic nervous system regulation
- Parasympathetic cardiovascular control
- Central autonomic integration
- Neurovascular coupling mechanisms
- Chemoreceptor function and responses
- Autonomic reflex arcs and feedback loops
Renal-Cardiovascular Integration
Pressure-natriuresis mechanisms, renal blood flow autoregulation, tubuloglomerular feedback, and volume-pressure relationships in physiological homeostasis.
Respiratory-Cardiovascular Coupling
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, intrathoracic pressure effects on venous return, pulmonary vascular physiology, and cardiopulmonary reflex integration.
Exercise Physiology
Cardiovascular responses to physical activity, exercise pressor reflex, muscle metaboreflex, and hemodynamic adjustments during dynamic and static exercise.
Computational Modeling
Mathematical models of cardiovascular function, hemodynamic simulations, systems physiology approaches, and predictive modeling of pressure regulation.
Developmental Physiology
Ontogeny of cardiovascular control systems, maturation of baroreceptor function, developmental changes in vascular reactivity, and age-related physiological adaptations.
Comparative Physiology
Cross-species cardiovascular mechanisms, evolutionary adaptations in pressure regulation, and animal models providing mechanistic insights into human physiology.
Selective consideration for novel physiological insights:
- Mechanotransduction in vascular cells
- Circadian regulation of cardiovascular function
- Microbiome-cardiovascular axis physiology
- Epigenetic regulation of vascular phenotypes
- Non-coding RNA in cardiovascular control
- Mitochondrial dynamics in cardiac function
- Inflammasome signaling in vascular physiology
- Extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular communication
Out of Scope
Clinical Management & Therapeutics
Rationale: We focus on physiological mechanisms, not clinical applications. Studies on hypertension treatment, drug efficacy, patient outcomes, or therapeutic protocols belong in clinical journals.
Disease Diagnosis & Screening
Rationale: Diagnostic methods, screening protocols, and disease classification are clinical tools. We publish mechanistic studies on physiological systems, not diagnostic applications.
Clinical Trials & Observational Studies
Rationale: Patient-centered research, epidemiological studies, and clinical outcomes research lack the mechanistic focus required. We prioritize controlled physiological experiments.
Health Policy & Public Health Interventions
Rationale: Population-level interventions, policy recommendations, and public health strategies are outside our physiological scope. These belong in public health or policy journals.
Pharmacotherapy Without Mechanistic Focus
Rationale: Studies describing drug effects without elucidating underlying physiological mechanisms are insufficient. We require mechanistic depth beyond pharmacological outcomes.
Article Types & Priorities
Fast-Track Review
Standard Review
Exceptional Cases Only
Editorial Standards
Reporting Guidelines
All submissions must follow appropriate reporting standards: ARRIVE for animal studies, CONSORT for trials (if mechanistic), STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for reviews.
Data Availability
Raw data, analysis code, and protocols must be made available in public repositories. We support FAIR principles and require data sharing statements.
Ethics Compliance
All research must have appropriate ethics approval. Animal studies require IACUC approval; human studies require IRB approval with informed consent documentation.
Preprint Policy
We welcome submissions previously posted as preprints. Preprint posting does not affect consideration and supports rapid dissemination of physiological research.
Reproducibility
Detailed methods sections required. We encourage pre-registration of experimental protocols and support replication studies of important physiological findings.
Statistical Rigor
Appropriate statistical methods with power calculations, effect sizes, and confidence intervals. We require justification of sample sizes and statistical approaches.
Decision Metrics
Ready to Submit?
If your research focuses on physiological mechanisms of cardiovascular function and hemodynamic regulation, we want to hear from you.
Contact Editorial Office
