Europace '97 was held in Athens, Greece, on 8-11 June Leads were, as usual, an important topic, with the earl 1997 in the city of classical civilisation and learning. iest mention of the then-new polyurethane leads. Future Though now held in modem surroundings and meeting conferences elaborated on these basic topics while pro facilities, the influence of the ancient city-state was un gressively adding sensors and sensor function, dual mistakable, with the architecture and learning of antiquity chamber pacing, and recognising the development of looming over the city, by its influence over the...

Heart Hypertrophy and Failure brings together leading basic scientists and clinicians, presenting improved knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of the condition. The result is a synthesis of state-of-the-art information on molecular biology, cellular physiology and structure-function relationships in the cardiovascular system in health and disease. The papers presented describe fundamental mechanisms underlying changes in the cellular machinery during the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
Audience: Students, scientists, clinical and...

It is indeed ironical that in the absence of a complete knowledge of Pathophysiology, clinical cardiologists are left with no choice but to do the best they can to help the patient with the armamentarium of drugs at their disposal. But nothing could be further from truth than to treat the diagnosed end point of a disease process without a full understanding of its patho- physiology. This point was eloquently made by Dr. Arnold Katz in his Presidential Address (Chapter 1) at the 8th Annual Meeting of the American Section of the International Society for Heart Research held in Winnipeg, Canada,...

The goal of gene transfer is protein expression. a process brought about by the insertion of a gene coding for a foreign protein into target cells resulting in the synthesis of the foreign protein For gene therapy, a tmnsferred therapeutic gene must be expressed at a level beneficial for the patient. This chapter provides an introductory overview of the rapidly evolving field of non-viral approaches for gene delivery to rnarnrnalian cells. Although currently there are fewer ongoing clinical trials using non-viral approaches than those using viral based systems, the number of non-viral trials...

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure brings together leading basic scientists and clinicians, presenting new approaches to this complex problem, involving cardiomyopathic processes and ischemia perfusion injury. The result is a synthesis of state-of-the-art information on molecular biology, cellular physiology and structure-function relationships in the cardiovascular system. The role which excess intracellular calcium plays in the genesis of cardiac dysfunction is described as a fundamental mechanism underlying heart failure; one which may lead to improved prevention and treatment....

Catheter-delivered therapeutic ultrasound angioplasty is a new technique for use in the treatment of obstructive vascular disease. The treatment differs from balloon angioplasty in that it has been shown experimentally to cause disintegration of calcific and fibrotic atherosclerotic plaques, thrombus dissolution and arterial vasodilation. In contrast to laser technology, ultrasound systems are relatively inexpensive and simple to use and maintain. In the clinical trials detailed in this text, ultrasound angioplasty has been shown to be feasible and safe.
Ultrasound Angioplasty...

Diabetes is a major public health problem which is expected to affect 160 million people worldwide by the year 2000. Clearly an understanding of the effects of diabetes on the heart is an important step in the development of strategies to reduce the incidence of heart disease for diabetic patients, thus increasing their overall life-expectancy and quality of life.
In this book, the editors bring together the different lines of evidence supportive of the idea of a diabetic cardiomyopathy. The first chapter provides an overview of the impact of cardiac dysfunction on the mortality and...

A critical review of the most up-to-date research on purines and myocardial protection. The role of purines in reversible myocardial stunning' and irreversible (myocardial infarction) ischemic injury, ventricular arrhythmias, and ischemic preconditioning is discussed in detail, by experts. All reviews address recent and rather controversial issues on purines and myocardial protection. Mechanisms of cardioprotection of exogenous versus endogenous purines are discussed in detail. The contribution of internationally recognized experts in the field of purines and cardiovascular physiology and in...

A unique overview of all major angiographic lipid intervention trials, presented by their principal investigators. Basic mechanisms and methodological aspects, including biochemical as well as angiographic aspects, are discussed by experts in these fields. A careful comparison of all available data permits an analysis to be made of what may currently be considered proved, which aspects merit further investigation, and which hypotheses should be rejected.
Audience: Clinicians involved in the practice of lipid lowering and investigators involved in lipid-lowering clinical...

This compact guide is concerned with the practical aspects of managing the individual patient with hypertension, including associated risk factors. In order to bridge the gap between the vast expanse of modern hypertension research and the every-day confrontation with the hypertensive subject in practice, an authoritative panel of scientifically oriented, but also practically involved hypertensiologists' have been invited to present their condensed views and derived protocols. The result of these efforts, we hope, will meet the needs of the practising physicians on the basis of a thoughtful...