Even though enormous advancements have been made in identifying evidence-based lifestyle strategies for hypertension prevention and management, little progress has been made in implementing these proven strategies. Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors, and Blood Pressure compiles practical, science-based information for health care providers to provide effective lifestyle interventions for blood pressure care. Divided into three sections, the book features: Evidence-based blood pressure control and relevant considerations for real-life situations Special considerations in blood pressure control and lifestyle modification among children and adolescents, during pregnancy, and among those with diabetes Practical tools that health care providers can put into practice in particular settings An excellent supplement to existing resources, Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors, and Blood Pressure shortens the gap between current understanding of the science about lifestyle factors and blood pressure and the actual implementation of the science

This issue of the Interventional Cardiology Clinics, edited by Dr. Sahil Parikh, is entitled "Coronary and Endovascular Stents" and covers a wide array of topics. Subjects covered include, but are not limited to, a historical review of stent development; the rationale for stenting; principles of stent design; the role of stent composition and surface modification; endovascular drug delivery and drug elution systems; design and clinical considerations for BRS and endovascular stent grafts; the pathology of endovascular stents, and stent failures.

Given current trends toward obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and poor diets, hypertension is increasingly becoming a disease of the young as well as the elderly, affecting about 1 billion people worldwide. Many patients, especially the younger ones, would prefer alternative treatments. While natural remedies have been used for much longer than pharmaceutical-based treatments, few Western physicians are trained in alternative treatments of hypertension. Written by a dual board-certified nephrologist and internist as well as a Harvard-trained doctor of chemistry, Integrative Treatment of Hypertension: A Clinical and Mechanistic Approach offers an alternative approach to treating hypertension, providing sound mechanisms of action and practical implementation advice. The author meticulously analyzes the efficacy of treatments based on data from respected medical journals. The book begins with an introduction to the subject and explains the mechanisms of blood pressure and hypertension, describes common causes of hypertension, and reviews standard medications and their side effects. The author examines alternative methods of treatment, emphasizing mechanisms of action, similarities to standard medications, and practical recommendations for employing these methods. Chapters cover dietary factors in treating hypertension, alternative yet common diets, the efficacy of nonconsumptive methods of treatment, and descriptions of natural supplements in treating hypertension. The book also addresses blood pressure goals and categorizes each standard and alternative method of treatment, suggesting ways of implementing an integrative approach to hypertension treatment. A useful companion to any health care provider, this book presents a unique work that fills a niche within the medical community.

This issue of Cardiac Electrophysiology Clinics, edited by Drs. Mohammad Shenasa and Stanley Nattel, will review Cardiac Potassium Channel Disorders in depth. Topics covered include but are not limited to: Molecular Biology of Cardiac Potassium Channels; Genetic Control of Potassium Channels; Potassium Channel Remodeling in Heart Disease; Gender-specific Effects of Potassium Channel Blockers; Pharmacogenetics of Potassium Channel Blockers; Multichannel Blockers; Selective Potassium Channel Blockers; and Proarrhythmic and Torsadogenic Effects of Potassium Channel Blockers in Patients.

Participation in athletics at both the recreational and competitive levels has grown enormously over the last decade, and now involves a substantial segment of the population of many countries, particularly those in Europe and North America. This change in the life-style of many individuals has been accompanied by the desire and necessity on the part of physicians to define the consequences of chronic athletic training and competition to the participant. Coincident with the of public interest in sporting competition has been the evolution and growth development of new non-invasive technologies in cardiology (such as M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography and radionuclide angiography) which have permitted investigators to study directly and more precisely the morphology and function of the heart and cardiovascular system. Hence, over the past several years our knowledge has been greatly enhanced with regard to the features of the normal 'athlete heart' and the relationship of athletic conditioning to preexistent cardiovascular disease, as well as the causes of sudden death in athletes. The present treatise on 'Sports cardiology: Exercise in Health and Cardio vascular Disease' is an impressive reference document which is also timely. It fulfills an important role in summarizing most of the available data that has been accumulated over the last 10 years in a large number of athletes participating in a variety of different sports. Drs. I. Bekaert and R."

This book reviews the main topics in thromboprophylaxis around orthopedic surgery, from a general scope of the problems with the disease highlighting them in orthopedics to the new specific protocols involving, for example, new oral anticoagulants. The prevalence of the venous thromboembolism in each procedure (from "easy" to "hard" surgeries, with different rates of related thrombosis) and the risk factors to bear in mind in each one (related and non-related with the orthopedic procedure) are also revised. A chapter focus on the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism, which is commonly "forgotten" in many books addressed to orthopedic surgeons and anaesthesiologists. The methods for thromboprophylaxis have three specific chapters: the most common drugs used and recommended when pharmacological prophylaxis is needed, new drugs which are arising day by day and which management will be of main importance in a close near future, and mechanical methods, recommended both as additional when possible and for sole indications when the risk of bleeding could move us to minimize the real risk of thrombosis. Anaesthetic implications for thromboprophylaxis and, also, main implications of the application of antithrombotic protocols in the anaesthetic practice are covered by another chapter. In our opinion it was very important to divide the orthopedic procedures according to their own thrombotic risk, so having their own protocols for thromboprophylaxis: high risk, day surgery procedures and "special" surgical procedures are included in three different chapters, from three different authors with complementary views. Finally, in a last chapter, we review the problems involving the perioperatory management of antiaggregated and anticoagulated patients, with a special part in hip fracture surgery.

This book provides an overview of the etiology of coronary artery disease and focuses on the main therapies and drug interventions currently available. It highlights drug pharmacology and therapeutic challenges, with a special emphasis on the underlying principles of available therapeutics and the on-going development of drugs for coronary artery disease. The book is divided into eight chapters, the first of which describes the classical mechanism of coronary artery disease and its clinical presentations. Chapter 2 lists the principles of and related evidence on the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. This includes diet and lifestyle management, and guidelines for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome and stable coronary artery disease. In turn, Chapter 3 describes revascularization treatments, covering percutaneous coronary interventions, coronary artery bypass grafts and thrombolysis. This chapter also addresses the main therapeutic challenges. The following chapters provide an overview of three major categories of coronary artery disease drugs, which target thrombosis (Chapter 4), lipid metabolism (Chapter 5), and hypertension (Chapter 6). Heart failure constitutes the major health burden in the late stage of coronary artery disease; accordingly, current heart failure therapeutics and related drug pharmacology are described in Chapter 7. In closing, Chapter 8 provides a summary of on-going clinical trials for coronary artery disease drug development and discusses a number of promising areas in which intensive research into new therapeutics is being pursued. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to clinicians, medical students and research scientists, as well as to pharmaceutical professionals who are seeking new therapies and drugs for coronary artery disease and related disorders.

Angiotensin II Receptor (T. Inagami et al.). Molecular Biology of Angiotensin II Receptors (B. Lassegue et al.). Defining Angiotensin Receptor Subtypes (A.T. Chiu et al.). Medicinal Chemistry of Angiotensin II Antagonists (W.J. Greenlee, R.W. Wexler). The Angiotensin II AT2 Receptor Subtype (M. de Gasparo et al.). Medicinal Chemistry of AT2 Receptors (J.J. Edmonds, J.C. Hodges). Pharmacology of AT2 Receptors (J.A. Keiser, R.L. Panek). Brain Angiotensin II Receptor Subtypes (J.M. Saavedra). Second Messengers for Brain Angiotensin Receptor Subtypes (F.M.J. Heemskerk, J.M. Saavedra). Angiotensin Receptor Subtypes and Cerebral Blood Flow (C. Stroemberg et al.). Angiotensin II Receptor Subtypes and Growth (M. Viswanathan, J.M. Saavedra). Inhibiting Effects of Angiotensin II on Cardiovascular Hypertrophy in Experimental Hypertension (J.J. Morton). Inhibiting the Effects of Angiotensin on Cardiovascular Hypertrophy (K.P. Metsarinne et al.). 8 additional articles. Index.

This issue of the Interventional Cardiology Clinics edited by Michael Lee covers all key aspects of complex coronary intervention. Topics include, but are not limited to: Saphenous Vein Interventions, Atherectomy Devices for the Treatment of Calcified Lesions, Bifurcation Stenting, Chronic Total Occlusion, Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease, Management of Complications (Perforation/Dissection/Thrombosis), Antithrombotic Therapy in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, and Acute Myocardial Infarction/Thrombectomy.

This issue of the Cardiology Clinics, edited by Ranjan K. Thakur, Andrea Natale, and Ziyad Hijazi, focuses on Cardioembolic Stroke. Topics covered in this issue include, but are not limited to: epidemiology of atrial fibrillation and stroke, atrial fibrillation and stroke, device detected atrial fibrillation, left atrial appendage closure for stroke prevention, cryptogenic strokes, and atrial fibrillation and cognitive decline.

This book on cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) features three sections, Fundamental Science, Pre-Clinical and Translational Science, and Clinical Applications. In the Fundamental Science section, we will cover the spectrum of basic ECM science from ECM's role in development, biomechanical properties, cardiac ECM influence of cardiomyocyte biology, pathophysiology of ECM in heart disease, and ECM in tissue engineering. Section two, Preclinical and Translational Science, will discuss cardiac ECM technologies in the clinical pipeline including approaches to ECM as a therapeutic, animal models of cardiac research, tracking and imaging methods of cardiac ECM, and cGMP manufacturing and regulatory considerations for ECM based therapeutics. Finally, the third section, Clinical Applications, will highlight the clinical experience around cardiac ECM including therapeutic strategies targeting scar tissue in the heart, Clinical trial design and regulatory considerations, current human clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine and the role of pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the commercialization of ECM technologies for cardiovascular indications. This book provides a comprehensive review for basic and translational researchers as well as clinical practitioners and those involved in commercialization, regulatory and entrepreneurial activities.

Collection of 22 essays presented at the 2nd Rappaport Symposium. Authors include academicians, physicians, and medical researchers. The articles aim to highlight emerging areas of scientific investigations currently being conducted and to stress new directions for upcoming research. The mechanisms

The 1990s have been characterized by a reappraisal of allocating expenditure for health care interventions. Coronary artery bypass in the elderly has emerged as an example of burgeoning expensive surgery whose appropriateness is under challenge. This book comprises the proceedings of an international symposium where leading experts in aspects such as health economics, ethics, clinical cardiology, cardiac surgery, epidemiology and health-care policy discussed the need and outcome of the operation in old and very old patients. Clinical issues and operative results complement national costs and quantitated benefits in terms of quality of life as a justification of surgery. The book is addressed to cardiologists, geriatricians, cardiac surgeons, psychiatrists, rehabilitation physicians and public health-care administrators.

Thebook comprises the contribution of several authors who are among the mostrenowned scientists working in the field of mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the human cardiocirculatory system. The contributions cover a wide range of topics, from the pre processing of clinical data, to the set up of mathematical equations, their numerical solution, both in-vivo and in-vitro validation. They address the flow in the systemic arterial tree and the complex electro-fluid-mechanical coupling in the human heart. Many examples of patient-specific simulations are addressed. This book is addressed to all scientists (from PhD level up to professional scientists) interested in the mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the human cardiocirculatory system."

This book provides mental health professionals with a basic overview of the types of procedures involved in bariatric surgery and the specific psychological impacts such operations can have on their patients. It also serves as a valuable resource to surgeons, nurses, doctors, and support staff who are involved in the medical treatment of obesity, but who may have little background in the psychosocial implications of their work. An accompanying questionnaire is available at http://www.eatingdisordersarena.com/resources/EDQ.pdf

Written by the authority on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and an HCM patient, and fully endorsed by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA), the leading advocacy and support organization, the 3rd Edition of this best-selling guide offers unparalleled insight into all aspects of living with and treating HCM.

Accessible and practical, A Guide to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy For Patients, Their Families and Interested Physicians 3rd Edition: Answers the most pressing questions posed by patients, their families, and non-specialistshealth professionals involved in their careCovers everything from what is HCM and initial diagnosis of this increasingly prevalentcondition to the latest treatment optionsReflects the first-ever HCM guidelines published by the American Heart Association in 2011

The 17 chapters in this book have been selected from the contents of the Chest and Cardiovascular System section in Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology 6e. These chapters provide a succinct up-to-date overview of current imaging techniques and their clinical applications in daily practice and it is hoped that with this concise format the user will quickly grasp the fundamentals they need to know. Throughout these chapters, the relative merits of different imaging investigations are described, variations are discussed and recent imaging advances are detailed.

Recognized experts comprehensively review the clinical, surgical, radiological, and scientific aspects of atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD), including endovascular, gene, and drug therapies. In their far-ranging discussions, the authors examine in depth the risk factors and antiplatelet therapies for PAD patients at high risk for suffering a heart attack and/or and stroke, the question of exercise rehabilitation, the surgical approaches to revascularization, and the preoperative evaluation and perioperative management of the vascular patient. Completing this detailed overview is important information on ameliorating the risk factors for PAD, its pathogenesis and epidemiology, and the physiological and pathophysiological basis of available diagnostic tests.

HE IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR, or T"lCD," is arguably the most technologically challenging type of therapy that physicians utilize today. At the same time, engineers who design ICDs are being called upon by clinicians to extend even further the technological envelope in quest of building the "ideal" device. To the extent, however, that physicians who utilize ICDs are not sufficiently comfortable with or familiar with the engineering principles that guide ICD function, the full clinical potential of even an ideal device will not be realized. In comple mentary fashion, engineers require as full an appreciation as possi ble of the real world "boundary conditions" and clinical impact of various ICD features, if the latter are truly to be perfected. This book is intended to serve as an educational tool to foster mutual understanding and communication among physicians, engineers, and other professionals involved in ICD therapy, with the ultimate purpose of enhancing patient care. The highly varied backgrounds of such a diverse audience posed obvious challenges in the preparation of this volume. Given the overwhelmingly greater involvement of clinicians in the day-to day management and follow-up of ICD recipients, we gave high priority to the presentation of oftentimes complex yet relevant engi neering concepts in a manner that could be understandable to most clinicians."

"Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for Heart Failure" is a state-of-the-art reference that combines the both the breadth and depth of information available in one place. Stem cell and gene therapy is the most cutting edge therapy currently available for patients with heart failure and the therapy has progressed to availability in multiple clinical trials. Each section of this resource includes trials from contributors and specialists from around the world that have been completed to date as well as planned for the future, making this an important resource for cardiology researchers, basic science clinicians, fellows, residents, students, as well as industry.
Includes coverage of the three areas with the greatest clinical trials to date: Chronic Limb Ischemia, Chronic Angina, and Acute MI.Provides the current understanding of harnessing the body s native repair mechanisms.Offers future perspectives outlining prospective directions, new trials and exploring unanswered questions.
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Clinical Cardiac MRI is a comprehensive textbook intended for everyone involved in magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. It is designed both as a useful guide for newcomers to the field and as an aid for those who routinely perform such studies. The first edition, published in 2004-5, was very well received within the cardiac imaging community, and has generally been considered the reference because of its completeness, its clarity, and the number and quality of the illustrations. Moreover, the addition of online material showing 50 real-life cases significantly enhanced the value of the book. In this second edition, the four editors, all experts in the field, have taken great care to maintain a homogeneous high quality throughout the book while incorporating the newest insights and developments in this rapidly evolving domain of medical imaging. Essential theoretical background information is included, and imaging acquisition and potential pitfalls are examined in detail. Most importantly, structured guidelines are provided on the interpretation of clinical data in the wide range of cardiac pathology that can be encountered. Finally, the selection of 100 real-life cases, added as online material, will further enhance the value of this textbook.

Early Vascular Aging (EVA): New Directions in Cardiovascular Protection brings together the last decade of research related to the characterization of EVA as well as the predictive power of pulse wave velocity (PWV). The book presents a novel approach to the problem of cardiovascular disease, showing it in relation to great vessels disease, revealing a comprehensive approach to the problem of increase rigidity of the great vessels, its causes and consequences.
Introduces the latest information on early vascular aging (EVA), complete with summaries of recent evidence and guidelines for relevant risk factor control. Contains all the relevant information available from different fields of knowledge (from basic biology to epidemiology) in regard to EVA. Provides evidence that leads to a new target for interventions - early vascular ageing (EVA) in subjects with early onset increased arterial stiffness.Includes online access to a supplemental website with video clips of anatomic specimens, cardiac imaging, and surgical procedures.
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This comprehensive text examines both global and local coronary blood flow based on morphometry and mechanical properties of the coronary vasculature. Using a biomechanical approach, this book addresses coronary circulation in a quantitative manner based on models rooted in experimental data that account for the various physical determinants of coronary blood flow including myocardial-vessel interactions and various mechanisms of autoregulation. This is the first text dedicated to a distributive analysis (as opposed to lumped) and provides digital files for detailed anatomical data (e.g., diameters, lengths, node-to-node connections) of the coronary vessels. This book also provides appendices with specific mathematical formulations for the biomechanical analyses and models in the text. Written by Dr. Ghassan S. Kassab, a leader in the field of coronary biomechanics, Coronary Circulation: Anatomy, Mechanical Properties, and Biomechanics is a synthesis of seminal topics in the field and is intended for clinicians, bioengineers, and researchers as a compendium on the topic. The detailed anatomical and mechanical data provided are intended to be used as a platform to address new questions in this exciting and clinically very important research area.

Profiles potential treatment approaches for cardiac arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular origin are responsible for the deaths of nearly half a million Americans each year while atrial fibrillation accounts for about 2.3 million cases per year, a rate that is projected to increase 2.5 fold over the next half century. Effectively managing these cardiac rhythm disorders remains a major challenge for both caregivers and the pharmaceutical industry. Filling a gap in the current literature, "Novel Therapeutic Targets for Antiarrhythmic Drugs" presents the latest treatments for cardiac arrhythmias alongside comprehensive presentations of basic cardiac physiology and pharmacology.

Written by leading experts in their research areas, this invaluable resource offers both practitioners and researchers a one-stop guide that brings together previously dispersed information. The text consists of four sections:

Section One comprehensively reviews basic cardiac electrophysiology, the mechanisms responsible for arrhythmias in the setting of ischemia, and basic pharmacology of antiarrhythmic drugs.

Section Two addresses safety pharmacology, including the concept of "repolarization reserve," safety challenges, and regulatory issues for the development of novel antiarrhythmic drugs.

Section Three describes several novel pharmacological targets for antiarrhythmic drugs, including both ion channel and non-ion channel targets.

Section Four describes promising non-pharmacological antiarrhythmic interventions including selective cardiac neural disruption or nerve stimulation, aerobic exercise training, and diet (omega-3 fatty acids).

Offering an unparalleled look at the current state and future direction of cardiac arrhythmia treatment, "Novel Therapeutic Targets for Antiarrhythmic Drugs" provides an important resource to advanced students, working researchers, and busy professionals alike.