This volume focuses on latest research in therapeutic devices for cardiovascular, i.e. vascular and valvular and cardiac diseases. In the area of vascular therapies, aspects covered relate to latest research in small-diameter tissue-regenerative vascular grafts, one of the greatest persisting challenges in cardiovascular therapies, stent grafts and endovascular stents for percutaneous arterial interventions. Contributions on valvular therapies focus on tissue engineered and tissue regenerative prosthetic heart valves and valvular prostheses for trans-apical implantation including the challenges posed on the prosthesis design. The section on cardiac diseases aims at covering therapeutic advances for myocardial infarction and prevention of heart failure and on in vivo biomechanics of implantable cardiac pacemaker devices. A further section complements these three areas by presenting constitutive modelling of soft biological tissues of the cardiovascular system, an area imperative for advanced numerical and computational modelling in the development and optimisation of cardiovascular devices and therapies.

The volumes in this authoritative series present a multidisciplinary approach to modeling and simulation of flows in the cardiovascular and ventilatory systems, especially multiscale modeling and coupled simulations. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are tightly coupled, as their primary function is to supply oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the body's cells. Because physiological conduits have deformable and reactive walls, macroscopic flow behavior and prediction must be coupled to phenomenological models of nano- and microscopic events in a corrector scheme of regulated mechanisms when the vessel lumen caliber varies markedly. Therefore, investigation of flows of blood and air in physiological conduits requires an understanding of the biology, chemistry, and physics of these systems together with the mathematical tools to describe their functioning. Volume 4 is devoted to major sets of intracellular mediators that transmit signals upon stimulation of cell-surface receptors. Activation of signaling effectors triggers the release of substances stored in cellular organelles and/or gene transcription and protein synthesis. Complex stages of cell signaling can be studied using proper mathematical models, once the role of each component is carefully handled. Volume 4 also reviews various categories of cytosolic and/or nuclear mediators and illustrates some major signal transduction pathways, such as NFkappaB axis, oxygen sensing, and mechanotransduction.

Dyslipidemia in chronic kidney disease is a common clinical problem and growing in prevalence. With the recent publication of clinical practice guidelines on the management of lipid related disorders in patients affected by chronic kidney disease, an up-to-date and comprehensive resource of evidence-based literature is needed. Dyslipidemias in Kidney Disease captures the growing body of information on this subject matter. This book presents the latest clinical evidence and management guidance for patients of various demographics and stages of chronic kidney disease. Written for the nephrologist community, as well as cardiologists and general practitioners, this guide will provide practical knowledge and fill a much needed void in the literature.

This book correlates different minerals and lipids serum profiles with the prevalence of cardiovascular disorders in South Asian countries with special emphasis on Pakistan. Cardiovascular disorders (CVD, e.g. coronary heart diseases, hypertension, rheumatic heart disease, angina, heart failure and deep vein thrombosis) show significantly increasing rates in South Asian countries like Pakistan and have become a major health problem. Nevertheless, the data on any aspect of cardiovascular problems still is scanty. The serum profiles of different minerals (copper, magnesium, zinc, selenium) and lipids are analyzed in detail. The presented data will thus lead to a better understanding of the problem and help to provide possible solutions, which can be achieved, e.g. through ameliorated minerals profiles in the daily diet. These results can help develop better dietary management strategies in the prevention and treatment of CVD.

Modern vascular neurology, particularly in the emergency setting, often requires a great capacity for analysis and synthesis. Physicians who manage these patients must have acquired multidisciplinary skills, including a good knowledge of clinical neurology and medical imaging, but they may also need to be skilled in cardiology and intensive care. The initial clinical and imaging examinations play a decisive role in the management strategy. This book, written by neurologists and neuroradiologists, is designed to help all physicians involved in the management of neurovascular disease. The format and contents of this book, including the latest guidelines from learned societies, are designed to provide a succinct and practical guide. Although this book is particularly devoted to ischaemic stroke, other neurovascular diseases, especially haemorrhagic stroke, are also discussed. This book should constitute a valuable tool for everyday practice for all medical personnel involved in neurovascular disease.

sCongenital heart disease is the leading cause of infant death and affects approximately one in every 100 babies born in the United States. The study of cardiovascular development has acquired new momentum in last twenty years due to the advancement of modern molecular biology and new available equipments and techniques. In Cardiovascular Development: Methods and Protocols expert researchers in the field in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used in the field of cardiovascular development research. These include methods and technique for using different organisms for cardiovascular developmental research, using cell and molecular biology methods to study cardiovascular development, as well as other available techniques for cardiovascular development research. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Cardiovascular Development: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in understanding new state-of-the-art techniques in the field of cardiovascular development research including in vivo imaging and Bioinformatics.

This book describes those psychological features specifically characteristic of patients with congenital heart disease, from birth to adulthood. The combination of case studies, descriptions of life experiences and psychological recommendations and collaboration with non-profit organizations in the field ensure that it will serve as an excellent day-to-day learning tool. Technological advances in cardiology and cardiac surgery have resulted in an increase in the number of adults with congenital heart disease, creating a new emergency. From when they are born, these patients and their relatives require extensive support for many reasons, including the uncertainty and restrictions in their lives, frequent hospitalizations and difficulties in the work and social spheres. Clinical Psychology and Congenital Heart Disease explains how psychology can contribute to healthcare treatment of patients with congenital heart disease and their families. Emphasis is placed on the need for a multidisciplinary approach to ensure the well-being of the patient and the clinician is provided with insights and instruments that will assist greatly in the provision of appropriate support.

This book is exceptional in being devoted solely to vasovagal syncope (VVS), the most frequent cause of transient loss of consciousness in the general population. All aspects of VVS are covered, including epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, prognosis, therapy and implications for particular activities such as work, driving and physical activity. The context for the book is that about half of the population suffer from this type of loss of consciousness during their lifetime and then often call for general practitioner and/or emergency room assistance. While many pathophysiological aspects of VVS have been clarified, others remain elusive. The diagnosis of VVS may be easy, but it is sometimes challenging. From the therapeutic standpoint, few evidence-based therapies have been established and the large majority of treatments remain unsatisfactory. Vasovagal Syncope presents the latest evidence on all these issues and will be of value for internists, cardiologists, neurologists, emergency physicians and general practitioners.

Diabetes has long been recognized as a disease of high blood sugar, and there has been a continuous search of the exact reason for its development and effective treatment. In 2005, the World Health Organization had estimated that more than 180 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes mellitus and indicated that this figure is likely to double within the next 20 years. Among the 3.8 million deaths each year associated with diabetes, about two thirds are attributable to cardiovascular complications, and diabetes is now considered to be a major metabolic risk factor for the occurrence of heart disease. Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms is a compilation of review articles devoted to the study on the topic with respect to biochemical and molecular mechanisms of hyperglycaemia. The wide range of areas covered here is of interest to basic research scientists, clinicians and graduate students, who are devoted to study the pathogenesis of diabetes-induced cardiovascular dysfunction. Furthermore, some chapters are directed towards increasing our understanding of novel ways for the prevention/treatment of cardiomyopathy. Twenty five articles in this book are organized in three sections. The first section discusses general aspects of the metabolic derangements in diabetic cardiomyopathy including metabolic alterations and substrate utilization as well as cardiac remodelling in the heart; role of diet in the development of metabolic syndrome in the heart; effect of hyperglycaemia in terms of biochemical and structural alterations in heart. In the second section, several cellular and molecular mechanisms are discussed indicating that diabetic cardiomyopathy is a multifactorial and complex problem. The third section discusses the prevention and treatment of diabetes using appropriate diet, proper supplements including antioxidants, angiotensin inhibitors and some other drugs. All in all, this book discusses the diverse mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy with some information on new therapeutic approaches for finding solutions to prevent or reverse the development of cardiac dysfunction.

Adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDR) are among the most frequent events in patients receiving drug therapy. Cardiovascular (CV) drugs are an important group of drugs with potential risk of developing ACDR especially in elderly as marketing of more new drugs and their prescription continue to increase. However, like with most other drugs the exact incidence of cutaneous side effects from CV drugs is difficult to estimate due to sporadic reporting. Moreover, a reliable designation of a certain drug as the cause of a certain type of reaction can rarely be made. Apart from the well-known angioedema/urticaria from ACE inhibitors, lichen planus / lichenoid reaction from beta adrenergic blockers and photosensitivity from thiazid diuretics, ACDR from CV drugs might be seen in a wide spectrum extending to rare but life-threatening conditions such as erythroderma, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis or drug hypersensitivity syndrome. In this comprehensive review, the reported types of ACDR to CV drugs will be discussed according to drug class and the type of dermatologic reaction with special emphasize on cross-reactions and the role of patch testing in diagnosis.

This book is designed to provide the practicing interventionist with a comprehensive list of procedural reports that covers the vast majority of the currently performed interventional procedures outside the cardiac system. It offers up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications, contraindications and potential complications in an organized and practical format that follows the various body systems and progresses from the simple image guided FNA to the most complex procedures and incorporates the current societal guidelines. The book is divided for ease of reference into three main parts: Non vascular, Vascular and Neurovascular interventions. This information is not currently available in any single publication. The text provides residents, fellows as well as staff members with a quick, detailed and user-friendly resource for documentation of image-guided interventional procedures that will facilitate their tasks, improve the standard of documentation and reduce errors. The text can serve as a valuable tool for a quick review prior to a procedure or in preparation for an oral board certifying examination. The entries are vetted by recognized experts in the field of image-guided intervention. Procedural Dictations in Image-Guided Intervention: Non-Vascular, Vascular & Neuro Interventions covers the vast majority of the currently practiced image-guided interventions in the various body systems. This information is supported by up-to-date references and international guidelines. This book is a must-have for residents and fellows undergoing training and all specialists in image-guided intervention.

Echocardiography Board Review, 2nd Edition 500 Multiple Choice Questions with Discussion Ramdas G. Pai, MD, Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University, CA, USA Padmini Varadarajan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University, CA, USA Echocardiography is an essential tool for the modern-day cardiologist and routinely used in the diagnosis, management and follow-up of patients with suspected or known heart diseases. This best-selling book now returns in a fully revised new edition, once again providing cardiologists and cardiology/echocardiography trainees with a rapid reference, self-assessment question and answer guide to all aspects of echocardiography. Packed with full-color images and written by experienced echocardiographers, the book covers: * applied ultrasound physics * practical hydrodynamics * valvular heart disease * myocardial diseases * congenital heart disease * non-invasive hemodynamics * surgical echocardiography Containing 500 case-based questions, including clear explanations and discussions for every question, Echocardiography Board Review, 2nd Edition, is the perfect preparation guide for all those about to take the National Board of Echocardiography s Board exam, including cardiology and echocardiography trainees and specialist physicians preparing for re-certification. Sonographers planning to take RDCS or RDMS certification examinations should find this book very helpful as well. Of related interest Practical Manual of Echocardiography in the Urgent Setting Fridman, ISBN 978-0-470-65997-7 Successful Accreditation in Echocardiography: A Self-Assessment Guide Banypersad, ISBN 978-0-470-65692-1 Website www.wiley.com/go/cardiology

This third edition expands upon the role of anticoagulants in clinical practice. In addition, it summarizes new developments in the field and provides evidence-based guidelines for the use of anticoagulants in routine day-to-day practice. The Handbook of Thromboprophylaxis Third Edition is a key resource for all physicians with an interest in thromboprophylaxis.

Resuscitation is a two-stage process comprising the achievement/maintenance of spontaneous circulation and post-resuscitation management. The approach is complex and multifaceted and entails the integration of new physiological insights, pharmacological options, and technological advances. The purpose of this volume, written by top experts in the field, is to promote, share, and disseminate new advances in resuscitation and post-resuscitation care. The issues addressed are wide ranging and of great topical interest or controversy. They include priorities of intervention, quality of resuscitation, use of mechanical supports, new defibrillation strategies, prevention of organ damage, strategies in cases of sudden cardiac death, new pharmacological treatments, and post-resuscitation care, including temperature management and prediction and improvement of outcome after cardiac arrest. Particular attention is devoted to up-to-date evidence from the most recent experimental and clinical trials on resuscitation science and to gold standard evidence-based resuscitation and post-resuscitation treatments and interventions. In addition, organizational models and integrated care systems for trauma are considered, and critical care education and the process of guideline development are reviewed.

This monograph comprises seven chapters, each detailing recent advancements in the field of cardiovascular research. Chapter One describes the various benefits that progesterone has on the cardiovascular system. Chapter Two aims to describe congenital heart disease in well-characterized syndromes and update the possible causes of genetic origin. Chapter Three aims to update and review the hemodynamic evaluation and percutaneous intervention in congenital heart disease. Chapter Four is focused on the evaluation and treatment of intermediate coronary plaque. Chapter Five presents a review of the literature on the field of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and analyzes several factors regarding the management of such cases. Chapter Six aims to identify predictors of the vulnerability and assessment in dynamics of the morphology of coronary plaques in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Finally, Chapter Seven reports on the case of a patient with rheumatic heart disease who underwent double valve replacement and incidentally was diagnosed with emphysematous pyelonephritis during his post-operative course in the hospital.

The Short QT Syndrome (SQTS) is characterized by abbreviated QT intervals on the electrocardiogram, increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Although several gene mutations have been identified in SQT patients, the role of these mutations in promoting arrhythmogenesis is still not completely understood. Consequently, this thesis employs multidisciplinary approaches to develop a 3D virtual heart, which is then used to elucidate how the short QT syndrome facilitates and maintains ventricular arrhythmias and to determine its effects on ventricular mechanical contraction. The findings in this thesis provide a comprehensive and mechanistic explanation for a number of gene mutations associated with potassium channels in terms of susceptibility to arrhythmia. The multiphysics models developed provide a powerful platform for identifying the root causes of various arrhythmias and investigating therapeutic interventions for these diseases. The thesis was examined by Prof. Chris Huang of the University of Cambridge, the most authoritative figure in cardiac electrophysiology, who has described the work as "outstanding."

* The definitive reference work on arterial hemodynamics. * Fully updated and revised to cover all recent advancements in the field.

Providing many unique MATLAB codes and functions throughout, this book covers the basics of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), leading to an in-depth understanding of the concepts and tools required for analysis and interpretation of Phase Contrast MR Angiography (PC-MRA). The concept of PC-MRA is often difficult, but essential for practicing engineers and scientists working in MR related areas. The concepts are better understood by uniquely combining the physical principles of fluid flow and MR imaging, laid out by modeling the theory and applications using a commonly used software tool MATLAB (R). The book starts with a detailed theory of PC-MRA followed by a description of various image processing methods, including detailed MATLAB codes used for their implementation. The flow concepts in the context of MR imaging are explained using MATLAB based simulations.

This book provides a detailed review of state of the art knowledge on critical care topics as well as the latest research findings. It covers the core aspects in excellent detail, but is not so comprehensive as to make its daily use unfeasible. For each condition considered, discussion of the pathophysiology is integrated with observations on diagnosis and treatment in order to allow a deeper understanding. The book is scientifically based, with extensive references to published research. This will allow readers to investigate their individual interests further and will enable physicians to justify measures by providing a coherent, evidence-based strategy and relevant citations where needed. Core Knowledge in Critical Care Medicine will appeal to experienced practitioners as an aide-memoire, but will also be of great value to a wide range of more junior staff wishing to complement their background knowledge with important facts applicable to everyday practice.

Sitting an accreditation examination is a daunting prospect for many trainee echocardiographers. And with an increasing drive for the accreditation of echocardiography laboratories and individual echocardiographers, there is a need for an all-encompassing revision aid for those seeking accreditation. The editors of this unique book have produced the only echocardiography revision aid based on the syllabus and format of the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) national echocardiography accreditation examination and similar examinations administered across Europe. Written by BSE accredited members, fully endorsed by the BSE, and with a foreword by BSE past-president, DR. Simon Ray, this indispensable guide provides a valuable insight into how echocardiography accreditation exams are structured. Crucially, to support students with the more challenging video section of the exam, a companion website provides video cases, and with clear and concisely-structured explanations to all questions, this is an essential tool for anyone preparing to sit an echocardiography examination.

I: Grundlagen der Elektrophysiologie.- 1 Zellulare elektrophysiologische Grundlagen der Arrhythmogenese.- 2 Supraventrikulare Tachykardien: Pathomechanismen, Diagnostik und Therapie.- 3 Ventrikulare Tachykardien: Pathomechanismen, klinische Bedeutung, Diagnostik und Therapie.- 4 Long-QT-Syndrom: molekulare Grundlagen und Klinik.- 5 Biophysikalische Grundlagen der Radiofrequenz-katheterablation.- II: Interventionelle Therapie bei supraventrikularen Tachykardien.- 6 Katheterablation der AV-Knoten-Reentrytachykardie.- 7 Katheterablation bei ungewoehnlichen Formen von AV-Knoten-Reentrytachykardien.- 8 Katheterablation akzessorischer Bahnen beim WPW-Syndrom.- 9 Katheterablation beim WPW-Syndrom und uberlebtem Kammerflimmern.- 10 Sonderformen akzessorischer Bahnen.- 11 Katheterablation bei Vorhofflattern und Vorhoftachykardien.- 12 Ablationsverfahren zur Behandlung von Vorhofflimmern.- 13 Neue Mappingtechniken.- 14 Elektroanatomisches Mapping der sinuatrialen Aktivierung mit dem CARTOTM-System.- 15 Elektroanatomisches Mapping fokaler atrialer Tachykardien.- 16 Nichtablative interventionelle Therapie supraventriku-larer Tachykardien: implantierbarer Vorhofdefibrillator.- 17 Stimulationstechniken zur Pravention von Vorhofflimmern.- III: Interventionelle Therapie bei ventrikularen Tachykardien.- 18 Indikationen und Ergebnisse der Katheterablation bei ventrikularen Tachykardien.- 19 Therapie der repetitiven monomorphen ventrikularen Tachykardie (Typ Gallavardin).- 20 ICD-Therapie.- IV: Padiatrische Patienten.- 21 Diagnose und Therapie von Herzrhythmusstoerungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen.

This book offers comprehensive information on the polymorphisms of genes encoding pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Following a short description of the general role of PRRs in the immune system, the structure and function of Toll-like and NOD-like receptors are examined in detail. The main focus is on the role of inherited variation in PRRs and their correlation to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. A review of all epidemiological investigations is included, and a concept of genomic risk markers for the prevention of various diseases is also discussed.

Although it is widely recognized that environmental factors such as smoking, diet, exercise, and socioeconomic status affect the risk of cardiovascular disease, recent work showing the effects of other environmental factors provides a more complete assessment of the situation. This view has emerged from three developments. Firstly, there has been a sudden explosion in the prevalence of diabetes and obesity which indicates a strong environmental component. Secondly, there is an accumulation of evidence suggesting that most cases of these diseases could be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices. Finally, studies have shown that exposure to environmental pollutants has a significant effect on heart disease risk. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive account of the effects of pollutants on heart disease and to integrate this area of research within the overall theme of environmental cardiology. The introductory chapter outlines the effects of different aspects of the environment on heart disease and provides a context for the discussion that follows. Subsequent chapters give an overview of the effects of particulate matter and discuss the epidemiological studies supporting the link. The book then goes on to cover the effects of pollution on different aspects of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, stroke, heart failure, ischemic heart disease and atherogenesis). Because of a close association between diabetes and heart disease, a discussion of the effects of particulate matter on diabetes is also included. Later chapters discuss the effects of individual pollutants such as vehicular emissions, metals and aldehydes. A review on manufactured nanoparticles is incorporated because these particles represent an important new threat to cardiovascular health. The understanding that emerges from this monograph suggests that we must be more alert to the effects of the environment and develop strategies that target, not only the diseased individual, but also the unhealthy, disease-causing environment. It is essential reading for cardiologists, epidemiologists, urban planners and pollution control specialists.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Cerebrovascular Diseases is an up-to-date, comprehensive review of the neuropsychiatry of stroke, by active authorities in the field, with an emphasis on diagnostic and management issues. Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Cerebrovascular Diseases includes critical appraisal of the methodological aspects and limitations of the current research on the neuropsychiatry of stroke and on unanswered questions/controversies. Pharmacological aspects of management are discussed, to provide robust information on drug dosages, side effects and interaction, in order to enable the reader to manage these patients more safely. Illustrative cases provide real life scenarios that are clinically relevant and engaging to read. Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Cerebrovascular Diseases is aimed at neurologists, stroke physicians and psychiatrists, and will also be of interest to intensive care doctors, psychologists ad neuropsychologists, research and specialist nurses, clinical researchers and methodologists.