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Heart Failure (HF) is the final and common pathway of all cardiovascular diseases. Heart Failure: Bench to Bedside helps address a significant need to develop new paradigms and to identify novel therapeutic targets for this pervasive disease.An authoritative contribution to the field, this book provides a detailed description of new findings and emerging methodologies, as well as a critical clinical evaluation of the complex HF syndrome and future therapies.Heart Failure: Bench to Bedside includes a primer on gene profiling and bioenergetics of the normal heart and a discussion of the molecular, genetic, biochemical and cellular techniques critical to understanding HF. Further chapters discuss cardiac remodeling, oxidative stress, and alterations in other organs and systems that are often associated with HF. This book thoughtfully evaluates current and forthcoming diagnostic techniques and therapies, pharmaceutical and pharmacogenomic-based individualized medicine, gene and cell-based therapies, and the search for new frontiers.Heart Failure: Bench to Bedside presents a clear view of up-to-date approaches to clinical diagnosis and treatment, as well as offering insightful critiques of original and creative scientific thoughts on post-genomic HF research. ... Read more

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Challenges for the treatment of valvular heart disease include the growing need for effective yet less invasive interventions and therapies to treat these progressive conditions. With the development of potential new treatments, it is crucial for cardiac
physicians to be well informed on the pathophysiology, assessment, treatment options and their outcomes of valvular diseases. Written by a highly experienced and internationally recognized group of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and researchers, Valvular Heart Disease offers insights into the widely varying hemodynamic effects and clinical course of heart valve conditions, as well as the contemporary management of these conditions. Offering a broad perspective on these diseases, Valvular Heart Disease expands on the recent guidelines developed by the major heart societies in the United State and Europe.

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The thrilling story of the brilliant and audacious pioneers who revolutionized cardiovascular medicine.

The history of heart surgery is a fascinating saga.In the dark ages of medicine, physicians commonly prescribed blood letting as a treatment for ridding the vascular system of diabolical elements and bizarre medicaments like brain extracts, and until quite recently, the basic treatment for a heart attack was to lie down and bear it. Within the last century, physicians have evolved from fearing to even touch a living human heart to rebuilding and even transplanting hearts with beguiling, if sometimes dangerous wizardry. Not long ago, cardiac surgery was celebrated as akin to miracle working, yet a new therapeutic age has since taken hold. Today heart attacks can often be stopped in their midst, and astonishing non-invasive surgical techniques regularly eliminate any need for a knife, while clearing vital arteries in just minutes.

Journey Into the Heart traces this epic quest involving a cast of thousands who struggled to solve medical complexities that long boggled the most brilliant minds on earth. David Monagan tells their story as never before, for the first time paying tribute to the daring tactics and outsized personalities of scarcely appreciated pioneers from Oregon to East Germany. The risks some took were hard to fathom: when a promising therapy seemed far too dangerous to perform on a patient, charismatic doctors experimented on themselves. Meanwhile, a multi-billion dollar business involving angioplasty and countless related knifeless procedures charged into life, often overshadowing the noble quest for innovation with a race for profit. The great figures behind these advances have been little chronicled, but their lives encompassed all the triumph and anguish of the last century.

Andreas Gruentzig, an East German "child of the rubble," took center stage in revolutionizing cardiovascular care, developing the first tiny balloon-tipped probes in his Zurich apartment. Despite harsh skepticism, Gruentzig demonstrated that his gadgets could transform the lives of millions. His findings catapulted him to worldwide fame, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize. After being lured to Emory University, Gruentzig’s career escalated to dizzying heights, and then concluded tragically with an Icarus-like ending. Journey Into the Heart is a compelling biography and a multi-faceted tale of medical discovery and business intrigue, all centered on the seat of human life. The twentieth century journey to understand the human heart was a saga on par with the race to the moon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

History of Interventional Cardiology till mid-1980s
This book is a well-written and light description of the foundations of modern history of invasive and interventional cardiology, such as angioplasty, until the mid 1980s. General science readers who are particularly fascinated by the history of science and technology, the management and practices of research scientists and doctors, and the personalities behind the innovations are likely to find this book entertaining. For instance, a man literally worked on the kitchen table in his apartment for years perfecting a device that his peers scoffed at, which is now a billion dollar industry.

There are also some anecdotal conclusions drawn about the differences between Germanic and Swiss driven research culture and environments versus their US counterparts, such as what happens when the rigorous, precise Germanic research approach for experimentation meets the highly competitive, economic-driven research and business culture in the US. Having worked in both US and Swiss research facilities, I personally found the basic research culture differences suggested in the book to be historically interesting, though practices seem to be changing over time.

The history of Cardiovascular medicine - excellent!!
This book presents a colorful but accurate history of the development of treatments for heart disease, featuring angioplasty in honor of Andreas Gruntzig, the first cardiologist to perform this procedure.I was fortunate to have worked in the medical device industry and actually know many of the mentioned people in the book.This is agreat read for those familiar with the technology and a good introduction for those not.

Journey into the heart
This is a well written book that very nicely details the history of interventional cardiovascular techniques. It is a good read.

An interesting study of angioplasty and people
I came to this book thinking it was truly a journey into the heart and its functioning. The book was actually a studied history of angioplasty, the use of catheters to clear the cardiac arteries and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Several themes stand out and make the book worthy of serious reading.The story again shows that medicine is now barely 100 years old in any modern sense as there is very little of note in the heart prior to 1900. Also, the book shows how much the review process has changed in the past fifty years, with surgical options which were untested and unproven being used with some regularity. Finally, the book profiles the leading researches and shows that medicine, like any other profession, is full of talented but unusual people.

Pity the Patient!
Pity the patient with heart problems/symptoms - a serious situation fraught with complex decisions and painful and risky alternatives."Journey Into the Heart" tells of the struggle and errors of physician-leaders moving practice trends to angioplasty, and away from other treatments - especially CABGs (coronary artery by-pass grafts).But now a new study reports angioplasty doesn't save lives or prevent heart attacks better than generic drugs in non-emergency patients - where it is used mostly.Experts also concluded that it only fixes one artery at a time (vs. drugs operating on all at the same time), and the clogs treated are not the really dangerous kind.

Angioplasty also lost favor recently when it was reported that popular drug-coated stents can raise the risk of blood clots months later. Now the procedure in its entirety is in question.

Bottom Line:The "courageous" individuals pioneering this procedure featured in "Journey Into the Heart" were overzealous, at best.Unfortunately, "Journey Into the Heart" doesn't provide good advice about when to receive angiography, so here's some.About 600,000 angioplasties per year are now performed for patients with chronic chest pain - replacing just 350,000 with drug therapy would save as much as $10 billion/year.On the other hand, for those with unstable chest pain, stenting provides better outcomes than drugs alone, as well as for patients treated within 12 hours of a heart attack; later stenting for those with heart attacks, however, doesn't help.(Information courtesy of Wall Street Journal, 3/27/07, and Washington Post, 3/26/07). ... Read more

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Series Description: Developed by expert faculty at the Cornell Division of Cardiology, the Emerging Concepts in Cardiology; series edited by Craig Basson and Bruce Lerman, provides state of the art reviews of each topic from a clinical perspective, with expert perspectives in current clinical research and emerging basic and traditional research issues all in a concise, attractive and well-illustrated texts.

Ischemic heart disease and cardiac arrhythmic disorders are among the most commonly seen and complex problems for the cardiologist. State of the art management of these disorders by the cardiology clinician demands a current knowledge of a vast amount of translational research in the pathophysiology of these disorders as well as recent advances and issues in pharmacologic and interventional therapies. This volume provides expert reviews and assessment of the most recent clinical research and on current trends in management.

Key topics covered include the risk stratification of sudden cardiac death; the fast-evolving role of PCI; predictors of outcomes in chronic ischemic heart disease; catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation; and percutaneous treatment of valvular heart disease; and numerous others. Reviews include assessment of emerging data and indications of likely key advances with significant impact on clinical practice in the near future.

This volume is a must-have for every cardiologist needing to be fully current on recent advances in ischemic heart disease and arrhythmic disorders. ... Read more

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This impressive guide authoritatively summarizes the fundamental cellular and molecular abnormalities associated with heart failure, as well as current invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques, the latest pharmacological advances, device-based therapies, surgical options, and evolving molecular treatments-surpassing any other text on the topic with concise discussions of recent molecular discoveries in pathophysiology alongside practical clinical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients. ... Read more

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The Jefferson Heart Institute Handbook of Cardiology offers a comprehensive, easily navigable guide to cardiac disorders and their treatment for residents, general internists and practicing cardiologists.This important compendium covers everything from arrhythmias to hemodynamics, fully preparing physicians to assess their cardiac patients at the point of care. Several chapters are devoted to reviewing methodologies and uses of the most up-to-date imaging technology such as echocardiography and CT/MR. As the U.S. population ages, physicians of all stripes will need to become increasingly familiar with cardiac disorders in general and heart failure in particular. The Jefferson Heart Institute Handbook of Cardiology stands out as the authoritative text designed to address this need, packaged in the most concise, readily accessible format available.This essential reference volume features: Expert treatment recommendations for a range of cardiac disorders; Detailed guidance on cardiac imaging, including indications and methodologies; Clinical chapters on patient prevention and disease management; Trusted information from the renowned Jefferson Heart Institute ... Read more

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With the rapid development of the field of cardiac biomarkers comes a need for updated guidance on how to use them clinically. Drs. Adams, Jaffe, and Apple meet that need with this timely reference.

Taking a case-oriented approach for the greatest clinical relevance, the book bridges the gap between science and practice. If you use – or want to use – cardiac markers such as BNP and troponin to help your patients, you will find this clear and comprehensive reference provides a dependable source of valuable information.

The 19 chapters are divided into three parts:

• Cardiac Troponins
• Natriuretic Peptides
• Contemporary Markers of Risk

The authors cover the technical, clinical, and outcome assessments for each marker used in clinical practice. After each case scenario, an extensive discussion explains the clinical decisions and provides valuable context. ... Read more

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The first book of its kind, this reference describes current diagnostic and treatment strategies for acute and chronic heart failure in the fetus, neonate, child, and young adult-encompassing every aspect of pediatric heart failure including historical perspectives, the latest technologies in mechanical circulatory support, and recent information on the psychosocial aspects of heart failure in children. ... Read more

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Leading clinicians and researchers from around the world review the full scope of current developments, research, and scientific controversy regarding the principles and applications of cardiac CT. Richly illustrated with numerous black-and-white and color images, the book discusses the interpretation of CT images of the heart in a variety of clinical, physiological, and pathological applications. The authors emphasize current state-of-the-art uses of CT, but also examine developments at the horizon. They also review the technical basis of CT image acquisition, as well as tools for image visualization and analysis. ... Read more

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M. Gabriel Khan, MD, concisely assembles in a reader friendly format all the clinically useful information that an internist needs in both his daily rounds and abusy office practice to find correct clinical diagnoses and choose optimal pharmacologic therapies for their patients. Highlights include a simplified method for recognition of, and a practical therapeutic approach to, arrhythmias, as well as a more logical approach to drug management of hypertension than that given by the Joint National Committee, instructive algorithms that simplify the diagnosis and treatment of syncope, and extensive diagnostic information on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A large number of illustrative electrocardiograms that help to clarify the most often misinterpreted of all cardiologic tests and extensive discussions of practical cardiovascular pharmacology complete this magisterial survey. ... Read more

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This useful reference provides up-to-the-minute coverage of every aspect of valvular heart disease–presenting etiology, pathophysiology, and symptomatology in detail as well as current methods of diagnosis and treatment.Examines specific problems in valvular heart disease such as endocarditis, pregnancy, arrhythmias, rheumatic disease, acute regurgitation, and surgery in children and the elderly!Reviewing the latest invasive and non-invasive diagnostic techniques and analyzing the wide variety of management choices, Valvular Heart Diseaseexplicates the pathology, echocardiography, and the radiological examination of valvular diseasesdiscusses each of the heart valveselucidates possible pitfalls in diagnosis and managementshows how to assess left and right ventricular function and how to time surgeryillustrates the benefits and drawbacks of medical, interventional, and surgical management, including balloon catheter, valvotomy, and valve repairsupplies an in-depth overview of conservative therapyand more! ... Read more

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Heart failure affects over 5 million patients in the United States alone, and is a chronic and debilitating disease. While a number of pharmacologic therapies have shown varying degrees of effectiveness, many recent advances in the treatment of heart failure has focused on device based therapies. In Device Therapy in Heart Failure, William H. Maisel and a panel of authorities on the use and implementation of device based therapies provide a comprehensive overview of the current and developing technologies that are used to treat heart failure. Individual chapters provide an in-depth analysis of devices such as CRT’s and ICD’s, while broader topics such as the pathophysiology of heart failure and its current medical therapies are also discussed. Additional topics include Pacing and Defibrillation for Atrial Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation Ablation, and Percutaneous Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease.

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Treatment of Advanced Heart Disease is an expansive and up-to-date guide to the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in children and adults.Written by leading specialists, this source guides the clinician through the possible causes of heart disease and emphasizes potentially reversible etiologies, in addition to reviewing currently available therapies including drugs, devices, surgery, and research sure to impact the field for years to come.

Leads the reader through crucial treatment practices and strategies to sustain the lives of patients with severe heart disease. ... Read more

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Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles. Focuses on the common connection between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction. Addresses new treatment options, including risks and side effects. Also analyzes the dangers of sexual activity in cardiac patients. For physicians. DNLM: Impotence--etiology. ... Read more

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Discusses how the physician can supply patients with the necessary preventive measures against coronary heart disease (CHD). The work covers traditional variables of disease as well as the societal, environmental and psychological awareness essential to successful CHD prevention. ... Read more