kórélettan

Kórélettan, known in English as pathophysiology, is the branch of medicine that studies the disordered physiological processes that underlie disease. It sits at the interface of physiology and pathology, seeking to explain how normal bodily functions become impaired and how these impairments give rise to symptoms, signs, and the course of illness. The field provides the mechanistic basis for understanding clinical conditions and for developing targeted interventions.

Its scope spans organ systems and levels of organization, from molecular and cellular processes to whole-organ function. Pathophysiology examines the etiologies of disease, including genetic mutations, infection, toxins, and metabolic disturbances, and tracks how initial insults trigger compensatory responses that may become maladaptive. Core concepts include altered homeostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and abnormal signaling pathways. Examples commonly discussed include heart failure with neurohormonal activation and edema, diabetes mellitus with dysregulated glucose metabolism and vascular complications, and inflammatory diseases where immune mediators disrupt tissue function.

In medical education, particularly in Hungary, kórélettan is a foundational subject that trains clinicians to translate laboratory findings into clinical reasoning. The field employs clinical observation, experimental models, imaging, and computational approaches to elucidate mechanisms and to guide diagnosis and therapy. Ongoing research in pathophysiology aims to personalize treatment, integrate systems biology, and elucidate how feedback mechanisms, coordination between organs, and pharmacologic interventions modify disease trajectories.