Chronic Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Risk factors, and Mechanisms is the first of two separate but closely related volumes which aim to provide an inclusive overview on Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). This first volume is focused on the epidemiology, classification, molecular mechanisms, pathophysiology, causes, identification and interactions of heart failure. It will explain the uncertainties and issues in Heart Failure by helping readers understand the physiopathology of CHF in the light of behavioural risk factors. 2D and 3D speckle tracking echocardiography have been used to quantify regional alterations of longitudinal strain and area strain, through their polar projection, which allows a further evaluation of both the site and extent of myocardial damage. The analysis of strain can identify subclinical cardiac failure (myocyte remodelling) which is a major issue in CHF. Myocardial Strain, measure by speckle tracking echocardiography, is frequently attenuated in these conditions and can be utilized for the evaluation of disease progression and the effect of therapeutic interventions as well as prevention because it could be a manifestation of behavioural risk factors. These 2 separate volumes serves as essential references to both researchers and practicing clinicians, proposing novel methods of research by using behavioural and environmental risk factors as intervention agent, as well as discussing deficiency in the present approaches in management of HF and proposing new methods of early diagnosis and therapies for the clinical management of CHF.

Cardiovascular diseases have become a major cause of death in both middle and higher income countries despite significant increases in evidence-based drug therapy and interventions as well as cardiovascular surgery. It seems logical to educate the world about actual causes of cardiovascular diseases, which are important in the pathogenesis of these problems. The science of chronocardiology gives due consideration to our cardiovascular functions according to time structures which appear to be related to light and dark cycles of 24 hours, due to day and night.

Chronocardiology and Cardiac Research bring evidence to the public domain about the role of time in cardiovascular function and dysfunction that results in a number of cardiovascular diseases. The book is divided into three parts and covers the subjects extensively. Chronocardiology is not new to cardiologists, but it needs to be introduced to mainstream medicine, which is the main purpose of the editors of this volume.