Therapy in cardiology has advanced enormously in recent years. This has resulted in the organization of many meetings and the publication of numerous books dedicated to examining the latest aspects of, for instance, pharmacolog ic, electrical and surgical treatment. However, only a few of these meetings and publications have attempted to present an overall review of all advances that have taken place in the field of therapy. In the last years the Spanish Society of Cardiology has shown a great interest in the continuous medical education in cardiology. The Society has organized various meetings and has published several books on the above-mentioned topics. Consequently, the Society has decided to publish this book, an update of the therapeutics in cardiology, of which a Spanish version is also available. World renowned experts and outstanding Spanish cardiologists were invited to review all aspects of therapy in cardiology. We would like to thank the Spanish Society of Cardiology and the Catalan Cardiac Society for the generous assistance they have given us during all stages of book preparation. We also would like to express our appreciation to all the authors for their valuable contributions. Their combined efforts enable us to put this volume in the hands of the reader."

In November 1986, I was invited to attend a symposium held in Barcelona on Diseases of the Pericardium. The course was directed by Dr. J. Soler-Soler, director of Cardiology at Hospital General Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona. During my brief but delightful visit to this institution, my appreciation of the depth and breadth of study into pericardial diseases, carried out by Dr. Soler and his group, grew into the conviction that these clinical investigators have accumulated a wealth of information concerning pericardial diseases, and that investigators and clinicians practicing in English speaking countries would greatly profit from ready access to the results of the clinical investiga tions into pericardial disease carried out in Barcelona. The proceedings of the Barcelona conference were published in a beauti fully executed volume in the Spanish language edited by Dr. Soler and pro duced by Ediciones Doyma. Because I believe that this work should be brought to the attention of the English speaking scientific and clinical com munities, I encouraged Dr. Soler to have the book translated into English. I knew that this task could be accomplished and that the book would be trans lated into good English without change of its content. My confidence was based upon a translation of my own book, The Pericardium, into Spanish undertaken by Dr. Permanyer, who is a contributor and co-editor of the pre sent volume."