This issue of Cardiology Clinics is devoted to cardiac intensive care, which involves the treatment and care of patients with critical cardiac illness. Expert authors review mechanical complications of acute MI, cardiogenic shock, acute decompensated heart failure, management of arrhythmias, use of newer antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents, and more. Keep up to date with the latest information on managing these life-threatening conditions.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among US women over the age of 65, resulting in more deaths than all forms of cancer combined. Women are less likely to survive heart attacks than are men, possibly because symptoms in women may differ and may be less recognizable.? In addition, women consistently tend to have worse clinical outcomes in percutaneous coronary interventions than do men. For these reasons, an issue on percutaneous interventions in women is timely.

In the past three decades, interventional cardiology has grown tremendously due to development of new devices and expansion of indications based on clinical trials.? This issue of Cardiology Clinics provides an updated view of advanced techniques in the rapidly changing and growing field of interventional cardiology.? The articles included discuss important topics such as emerging techniques for vulnerable plaque detection, coronary bifurcation lesions, drug eluting stents, and left ventricular assist devices.