In the era of instant global communication, medicine is an international discipline characterized by a wide range of patient referral systems, world-wide discussion of clinical and research findings, and an explosion in the medical literature. Perhaps no field has progressed more than cardiology in the past few years. Contemporary Concepts in Cardiology has been conceived as a supplement to the classic cardiology textbooks for the use of practicing physicians, cardiologists-in-training, medical students, and research investigators. This volume focuses on associations between refinements in the understanding of disease and clinical applications. The material is presented in a way that limns the latest advances and focuses thinking towards future developments in cardiology. The Editors have assembled a respected international panel of contributors so that each chapter is authored by a well-known specialist in his or her field. Every attempt was made to avoid the fragmentation which often characterizes the digest approach. Because the constant flow of information makes it nearly impossible to construct a timely book on advances in cardiology, the chapters in this volume describe the current concepts in cardiology and their underlying rationale, rather than attempting a comprehensive review of the most recent papers in each discipline.