A comprehensive review of all the latest developments in cardiac electrophysiology, focusing on both the clinical and experimental aspects of ventricular repolarization, including newly discovered clinical repolarization syndromes, electrocardiographic phenomena, and their correlation with the most recent advances in basic science. The authors illuminate the basic electrophysiologic, molecular, and pharmacologic mechanisms underlying ventricular repolarization, relate them to specific disease conditions, and examine the future of antiarrhythmic drug development based on both molecular and...

In 1962, Thomas Kuhne coined the term paradigm shift while arguing that human knowledge advances by quantum leaps with interspersed smaller steps. Preparation for the major advance is generally not a concerted effort by thought leaders. Rather, a few (or one) visionaries gain insights into a process and are able to definitely demonstrate the accuracy of their worldview. Often, the epiphany does not occur during the intellectual lifetime of the discoverers. Medicine has had numerous such paradigm shifts including the compelling reworking of Galen s concepts of the body. Of note, the scientific...

Leading physicians summarize in this easy-to-use and eminently practical handbook the day-to-day management of transplant donors and recipients at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Topics covered range from surgical techniques, pathology, and immunosuppression, to posttransplant management, pediatric heart transplantation, surgical alternatives, and mechanical circulatory assistance as a bridge to transplantation. The authors also discuss congenital transplant techniques, state-of-the-art perioperative management techniques and protocols, and UNOS regulation and nurse coordination.

One of the most important developments in the field of cardiovascular medicine over the last two decades has been recognition of the key role played by arterial thrombosis in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes, ischemic complications of percutane ous coronary revascularization, and coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis. The phar macologic armamentarium directed against vascular thrombosis has thus expanded substantially during that time, with development of new fibrinolytic agents, low-molecu lar-weight heparins, direct thrombin inhibitors, antagonists to platelet activation, and...

Academic clinicians, clinical scientists, well-known practitioners of alternative medicine, and authors of popular works on the subject summarize the facts about complementary cardiovascular medicines so that physicians can confidently and knowledgeably advise their patients. The authors comprehensively explain the background for each important alternative therapy, its rationale, the evidence supporting its use, its possible interaction with standard medicines, and, where possible, what is known about its safety and efficacy. The therapies for treating coronary heart disease (CHD) range from...

An easy-to-read survey of all the latest developments in molecular cardiologic research and therapy. The authors explain in a readable style the complex process of the heart's development, the molecular basis of cardiovascular diseases, and the translation of these research advances to actual clinical treatments. The expert information provided here serves as an invaluable building block for novel treatments of cardiovascular diseases and includes a comprehensive discussion of cardiac function and dysfunction, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, vascular diseases, and risk factors...

Senior physicians, cardiologists, urologists, psychologists, and pharmacologists critically review the relation between heart disease and erectile dysfunction (ED) and explain for the practicing physician the effective new treatment options available for the cardiac patient with ED. The authors detail in concise language the latest thinking about the risk of sexually induced cardiac events, the efficacy and risks to cardiac patients of drugs used to treat sexual dysfunction, and the expert guidelines developed by prominent organizations on the optimal approach to sexual dysfunction in the...

A cutting-edge review of the latest findings on the complexities of platelet function and the various means of inhibiting platelet clot formation. The authors delineate an up-to-date picture of platelet biology and describe methods for assessing platelet function, including the commonly used platelet aggregation, thromboxane production, procoagulant function, platelet function under flow, and the expression of platelet activation markers. The focus is both on the technology and the outcome of research on platelets, including the fast developing fields of proteomics and genomics and their...

A panel of clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the field review and discuss the latest findings on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in the older patient. The authors explain the physiological changes associated with the normal aging process that may lead to the development of disease, to adverse consequences once disease develops, and which alter the risk-benefit equation for medical and other interventions designed to diagnose, assess, and treat cardiovascular disease. The focus is on particularly common syndromes in the elderly, including cardiac...

An in-depth review by leading authorities of the latest therapies and techniques for rescuing persons in cardiac arrest. The authors explore the physiology behind current state-of-the-art clinical resuscitation and translate it into practical bedside recommendations, clinical tips, and expert techniques. Topics of interest include the epidemiology of sudden death, management of ventilation, chest compression technique training, public access defibrillation, drug delivery during CPR, the latest drug therapies, and cardiac arrest in disease, pregnancy, drowning, lightning strike, and trauma....