Editorial The investigation of biomarkers in cardiovascular disease: time for a coordinated, international effort

This editorial refers to ‘Predictors of the rise in vWF after ST elevation myocardial infarction: implications for treatment strategies and clinical outcome. An ENTIRE-TIMI 23 substudy’ † by K.K. Ray et al., on page 440 Biomarkers may be defined as measurable cells, proteins, and/or metabolic by-products that represent, either directly or indirectly, one or more biological or pathologi-cal processes active within a defined system or disease state. In a majority of cases, biomarkers delineate var-iances from normal biology and either appear for the first time (newly expressed) or, more commonly accord-ing to traditional thinking, elevate beyond a normal range in response to one or more stimuli or pathologic events [e.g. cardiac specific troponin in acute myocardia