This book presents a multidisciplinary approach to cardiac mechanotransduction. The chapters depict the many faces of the topic, from membrane and ion channel level to mechanics, biochemical signaling and regulation via hormone systems. Cardiac Mechanotransduction is of interest to basic life sciences, like physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, but also to clinicians working with heart-related problems, such as cardiologists and internists.

This guide provides a comprehensive review of the full spectrum of hypertension in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Targeted towards the busy practitioner, the focus of this volume is on various therapies and how to lower blood pressure through lifestyle changes. Specialist patient populations and hypertension and causes of hypertension are also covered in detail. Clinically-focused and authoritative, this resource offers a rationalized approach to diagnosing and treating hypertension in CKD.

This book is a 3600 view of vascular pathologies and an introduction to the complexity of the most important field in medicine, with topics including cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, venous diseases, investigations, population sciences, prevention and the indication of a specialization field.It offers a broad introduction to angiology and vascular diseases, surgery and medicine, in an easy-to-read format with case studies separated under key areas. The scope includes many different aspects at an introductory level under a single observational point, bringing unity and homogeneity in the otherwise disjointed field of circulation sciences.

Interventional cardiology has transitioned from angiographic subjective analysis of stenosis severity into assessment of plaque characteristics and objective assessment of stenosis severity. The evolution of novel interventional imaging modalities is progressively altering our understanding of coronary artery disease diagnosis and prognosis. This book will be an essential companion to assist interventional cardiologists in better assessing patients with Coronary Artery Disease. It will encompass and review all interventional imaging modalities and provide guidance for interventional cardiologists to use these modalities.

Dr. Louis Ignarro discovered lithe molecule of cardiovascular health - Nitric Oxide (NO) - which is produced naturally by the human body and serves as a regulator of blood pressure to help prevent blood clots. The problem is that many people find this out too late, going through life without understanding that this all-important molecule is the difference between healthy living and a heart attack. With all the focus on new diets, Dr. Ignarro's research is all the more vital. In an easy-to-follow plan - which discusses NO friendly foods and informs about supplements to stimulate NO production, he lays out a regimen that age-proofs the cardiovascular system, keeping it clean and the blood vessels strong. The "Say Yes to NO" program allows readers to tap into the body's own cardiovascular drug and discover that the littlest molecule can make a tremendous difference.

An illuminating and timely synthesis of methodological and clinical studies showing how medical costs can be established, how the value of clinical outcomes can be assessed, and how difficult choices can be rationally made. The methodological chapters review the conceptual and practical issues involved in estimating and interpreting health care costs, making health status and utility assessments, and statistically analyzing cost-effectiveness and clinical trials. The clinical chapters apply these methods to the major clinical areas of cardiology-primary prevention of coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, angioplasty vs coronary bypass surgery, CABG vs medicine, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiac surgery. Additional chapters consider the use of economic studies for policy purposes and the future of Medicare under a balanced budget in an aging America.

Since the publication of the first edition of Cardiac Pacing for the Clinician, the use of implantable cardiac devices has expanded rapidly. Certain classes of devices such as implantable loop recorders and cardiac resynchronization pacing systems were not commonly used when the first edition was published, and recent studies have shown that implantable cardioverter defibrillators are beneficial in large, previously unrecognized patient populations at risk for sudden death. In order to meet this demand, cardiologists without special training in electrophysiology or pacing are implanting an increasing number of cardiac devices. It is in this rapidly evolving setting that Cardiac Pacing for the Clinician, Second Edition is being undertaken.

The main focus of this volume will be to provide a practical discussion of the a oenuts and boltsa of implantable cardiac devices. The target audience will be cardiologists in practice and in training as well as nurses, technologists and industry. In addition, it will benefit physicians preparing for certification.

Additions to the new edition will include: Chapters discussing new cardiac devices; Implantation of Left Ventricular Leads for Cardiac Resynchronization Pacing Systems; Identification of Candidates for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy; Follow-Up Issues in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy; Implantable Loop Recorders.

Updates to the existing chapters will include: New Trial Information & Follow-Up of the Newest Generation of Defibrillators; Use of Defibrillators in Patients at Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death due to Long QT Syndrome, Brugada Syndrome and Congenital Heart Disease; Updates to Lead Extraction a" NewTechniques and Tools; Cardiac Pacing chapter will shift focus to Cardiac Devices.

This new edition of Cardiac Pacing for the Clinician, Second Edition will become a valuable resource to the general cardiologist and cardiology fellow by providing practical information for managing patients with complex cardiac devices.

Since its initial publication nearly a decade ago, The Vein Book continues to serves as the ultimate comprehensive resource on venous disease. Upholding its reputation as the go-to reference for complete, authoritative, and up-to-date information about venous function and dysfunction, this second edition effectively bridges the gap between clinical medicine and basic science, suitable both for the seasoned surgeon as well as the medical student. The book is divided into five essential sections: basic considerations, primary superficial venous insufficiency, venous thromboembolism, chronic venous insufficiency, and congenital venous malformations. The book covers the entire spectrum of venous conditions from clarification of the pathophysiology of venous insufficiency, molecular mechanisms in the cause of varicose veins, new treatment options for varicose veins and spider veins, startling new treatment for venous thromboembolic disease, and effective treatment for leg ulcers. More user-friendly and encyclopedic than ever, The Vein Book is still a must-have for vascular surgeons, phlebologists, interventional radiologists, research scientists, epidemiologists, and surgeons at all levels.

This new account of the pathogenesis of essential hypertension (EH) represents a detailed analysis of the main components of the circulatory control system. The latter's properties resemble those of man-made adaptive control systems in which regulatory parameters are altered when operating conditions exceed certain limits, often through neural mechanisms.
Inheritance of EH depends on both genes and environment. The high blood pressure (BP) genes have not yet been definitively identified, whilst the main environmental causes are mental stress, high dietary salt intake and obesity. EH occurs as two major syndromes, each initiated by chronic stress: 1) Stress-and-salt related EH, and 2) Hypertensive obesity. Stress is perceived by the cortex, from which increased dopaminergic (DA) neuron activity stimulates the hypothalamic defense area, raising sympathetic neural activity (SNA) and BP. Normally these subside quickly when the stress is over, but in those susceptible to EH the DA synapses become sensitized so that the defense response is evoked by ever lower levels of stress. Sensitization is common in memory circuits, but not in autonomic neurons, so that this property in EH may be genetically determined.
Stress-related hypertension increases hypothalamic responsiveness to high salt, resulting in further rises in SNA and BP. Later, non-neural functional changes (e.g. reduction in nitric oxide) and the structural remodeling of resistance vessels further enhance the vasoconstriction. In contrast, in those developing hypertensive obesity food consumption is excessive, which transiently alleviates stress-related anxiety. The brain ignores the leptin-mediated signals that normally curbappetite, contrasting with normal energy regulation in SSR-EH. In hypertensive obesity, the SNA pattern is similar to that in SSR-EH, but vasoconstriction is masked by vasodilatation and fluid retention due to hyperinsulinemia. This syndrome is a volume overload hypertension, where high cardiac output, renal impairment and other non-neural factors contribute to the elevation of BP.
Other topics include the role of various transmitters in autonomic regulation; the place of baroreflexes in the intact organism; why exercise training lowers resting BP; obstructive sleep apnea; non-pharmacological and drug treatment of EH; the role of the kidney in EH and in different types of renal hypertension and the pathogenesis of the Japanese spontaneously hypertensive rat, which provides a valuable animal model for EH.
The work suggests that physiological systems analysis in a complex disorder like EH is a valuable tool for using the great advances in molecular biology to best advantage.

A comprehensive survey of nonsurgical treatment for a variety of heart diseases that affect the cardiac valves, the heart muscle, and the structure of the heart. The authors describe who these procedures are useful for, how to do them, and how well they work. Major topics of discussion include percutaneous techniques for valvular heart disease, septal defects at both the atrial and ventricular levels, adjunctive therapies during coronary interventions, and angioplasty to treat extracardiac vascular disease, as well as reviews of the cutting-edge imaging modalities now being used in interventional procedures. An accompanying CD-ROM contains video demonstrations of catheterization and and the imaging portions of these procedures.

Recognized scientists and clinicians from around the world discuss the most recent molecular approaches to understanding the cardiovascular system in both health and disease. The authors focus on all components of the system, including blood vessels, heart, kidneys, and the brain, and cover disease states ranging from vascular and cardiac dysfunction to stroke and hypertension. The methods described for identifying the genes that cause susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases emphasize the possibility of discovering new drug targets. Authoritative and ground-breaking, Cardiovascular Genomics offers an unprecedented examination of both the cutting-edge scientific approaches now possible and the results obtained from them in the new science of cardiovascular genomics.

In The Practice of Electrocardiography, a master practitioner offers an organized approach to the art of EKG interpretation. Moving beyond the traditional approaches of many books that stress technical skill and pattern recognition, Dr. Blake shows how the four measurements needed to examine a tracing (orientation, duration, amplitude, and contour of each component) may be used with consistency and medical rigor for distinguishing normal and abnormal EKG patterns.
A unique worksheet guides the analytic process item by item and clarifies the logic of each stage of interpretation, in the same way that a dissection manual leads the student in an anatomy course. The result is a method for interpreting the electrocardiogram that reveals the anatomy and physiology behind each waveform and illuminates the gray areas between normal and abnormal.
The Practice of Electrocardiography provides a firm foundation in the diagnostic methods and clinical application of electrocardiography, as well as an entry into the literature through an outstanding bibliography. It will enable medical and nursing students to analyze the tracings they encounter in day-to-day practice with confidence and real understanding. Practicing clinicians will also find fresh insights here, and there are sections for technicians and their supervisors, as well as for administrators and others charged with assessing competence in the field.
After a lifetime of teaching and practicing EKG production and interpretation, after seeing more than a million EKG tracings over the years, Dr. Blake has distilled in The Practice of Electrocardiography the essence of his art and understanding for all those who must recordtracings, interpret them, or judge an interpretation written by someone else.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the author's work which includes significant developments of coronary CT angiography in the diagnosis of coronary plaques. The main contributions of the book lie in the following areas: both 2D and 3D analysis of coronary plaques with coronary CT angiography, diagnostic value of coronary CT angiography with use of different multislice CT scanners, quantitative analysis of coronary plaques in terms of lumen assessment, and bifurcation angle analysis, in particular, the diagnostic performance of coronary CT angiography in calcified plaques, and finally, hemodynamic analysis of plaques with regard to the effects of plaques on coronary blood flow, and CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRCT).

Aortic dissection affects approximately two in ten thousand individuals and can be fatal. This state-of the-art publication is a result of the combined efforts of participants from the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD). The book has been divided into sections. Each chapter provides a succinct overview of the current clinical literature and incorporates illustrations for further explanation.

Cardiovascular disease affects 20% of all Americans and is the leading cause of death in the USA. Every year approximately 1,500.000 Americans suffer from an acute myocardial infarction, and over 25% of the total number of deaths in this country are attributable to coronary artery disease. Unstable angina causes over 650,000 hospital admissions, and in the absence of medical therapy, the rate of progression from unstable angina to infarction is 12-20%. Since plaque disruption, plaque erosion, and acute intracoronary thrombus formation play major roles in the pathophysiology of both unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction, and since the two disease entities represent a continuum of coronary ischemic syndromes, it is appropriate to discuss the two disease states in a single monograph. Unstable Coronary Artery Syndromes, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment will offer the clinician a reference book which coherently discusses the pathophysiology of acute ischemic syndromes as well as remarks diagnosis and treatment strategies. Geared toward internists and cardiologists, the book should allow the reader to understand the pathophysiology of unstable coronary artery syndromes and subsequently apply this knowledge to patient care.

Stress Echocardiography - Its Role in the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease - Second Edition by Thomas Marwick is a concise, practical guide for anyone new to the field of stress echocardiography or an excellent summary of the existing evidence base for the experienced user. This new edition includes, in the back, a CD-ROM with images; film loops and a slide presentation.

Dr. W.F. Armstrong described the first edition of this book in his Foreword to the first edition as "a thorough, comprehensive review of the basic and advanced concepts of stress echocardiography. This text represents an excellent starting point for individuals wishing to gain initial familiarity with stress echocardiography and a superb reference source for more experienced investigators and clinicians finding a need to further develop their understanding of the technique and advance its clinical relevance in their laboratories."

Magnesium is an essential mineral which is required for growth and survival of humans. Since magnesium is a mineral and not synthesizable it must be obtained through dietary foods and/or supplements. Magnesium in Human Health and Disease reviews the benefits of magnesium supplementation to reach recommended intakes as well as provides new research that suggests how reaching levels above the recommended intakes can promote health and treat various diseases. Magnesium deficiency can cause low serum potassium and calcium levels, retention of sodium, and low circulating levels of regulatory hormones. These changes in nutrients cause neurological and muscular symptoms such as tremor and muscle spasms. Further magnesium deficiency causes loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes and death from heart failure. Causes of magnesium deficiency include alcohol abuse, poorly controlled diabetes, excessive or chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea. Thus the effects of inadequate and deficient intakes or levels of magnesium is critical to health and are reviewed by the expert clinicians in this book. Magnesium in Human Health and Disease provides the most current research to support the potential benefits or lack thereof for normal and high supplementation with magnesium. Animal model research and early human trials are reviewed to document other disease states such as hypertension, cholesterol level, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease that would benefit from increased magnesium.

Expanded and updated successor to the only question and answer review book for vascular neurology. Now with 620 questions-more than 250 completely new to this edition-this review guide has been thoroughly revised to reflect current science and clinical knowledge. With improved diagnostic-quality images, an emphasis on new drugs, and added chapters devoted to anatomy, clinical trials and ethics, neuro-ophthalmology, and case studies, this comprehensive review covers the full range of topics tested on the ABPN vascular neurology certification and MOC exams. Vascular Neurology Board Review is an engaging, active method to gauge proficiency and identify gaps for further study. Questions and answers with detailed rationales address a broad mix of topics including basic science, pharmacology, epidemiology and prevention, recovery and rehabilitation, and recognition, evaluation, and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and associated clinical problems. Each answer is accompanied by a relevant reference to guide further study. The book is a must-have review tool for anyone taking the vascular neurology subspecialty exam, and for physicians who want to enhance their understanding of stroke and stroke-related issues and concerns. Key Features: Contains 620 board-style questions and answers with rationales and references Covers all topic areas on the ABPN content outline for vascular neurology boards and the MOC exam Over 112 images reinforce key diagnostic points and build interpretive skills 5 new chapters All questions reviewed and updated to include the latest scientific, clinical, and treatment information Includes downloadable ebook to broaden study options

Prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disorders by lifestyle management is the most understood and effective applications of this emerging field. The focus of this book on prediabetes, diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases is timely and will be a welcome addition to clinicians who wish to gain more knowledge and competence in the area. This book will focus on the metabolic syndrome, which is the largest non-communicable disease of our time, and lifestyle approaches that drastically reduce the risks and adverse effects of this condition. Presents a detailed review of clinical evidence and guide for implementation. Provides a toolkit to counter both the high cost of medications and the need to address metabolic disorders associated with insulin resistance early, before or simultaneous to when medications are indicated.

Cardioprotective Natural Products: Promises and Hopes focuses on the recent advances in the research of bioactive natural products with cardioprotective potential against various cardiovascular diseases/disorders. The aim of this book is to underline the promise and future hope in bioactive natural molecules, herbal formulations, natural dietary supplements and related materials in the prevention and cure of cardiovascular diseases in a scientific way.This book, which comprises a variety of about 9 chapters written by active researchers and leading experts, brings together an overview of current discoveries and trends in this field. This volume is also an outstanding source of information with regard to the industrial application of natural products for medicinal purposes. The broad interdisciplinary approach adopted in this book ensures that it is much more interesting to scientists deeply engaged in the research and/or use of bioactive natural products. It will serve not only as a valuable resource for researchers in their own fields to predict promising leads for developing pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat disease manifestations, but will hopefully also motivate young scientists to engage in the dynamic field of natural products research.

Scientists working or planning to work in the field of cardiovascular research will welcome Practical Methods in Cardiovascular Research as the reference book they have long been waiting for. Not only general aspects of cardiovascular research are well presented, but also detailed descriptions of methods and protocols and practical examples. Written by leading scientists in their field, chapters cover classical methods such as the Langendorff heart or working heart models as well as numerous new techniques and methods. Newcomers and experienced researchers alike will benefit from the troubleshooting guide in each chapter, the extensive reference lists for advanced reading and the great practical experience of the authors. Practical Methods in Cardiovascular Research is therefore a long awaited "must have" for anybody with an interest in cardiovascular research.

Patients with two or more risk factors have a very high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. It follows that the strategy for the intervention of multiple risk factors is in fact of paramount relevance in detecting patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease requiring therapeutic intervention. The text also discusses risk factors from the point of view of biochemists and pharmacologists by addressing the mechanisms underlying the onset of hypertension, hyperlipoproteinaemia, hypercoagulability and the possibility of therapeutic intervention.

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.