In 13 chapters this book describes clearly the major diseases/disorders likely to be faced by a consultant cardiologist, as well as the most current treatment modalities available. Information culled from a wide variety of clinical trials is carefully examined and related to common experience, including the identification of various subsets of patients whose differing outcomes can be explained as a result of specific clinical characteristics. This attention to detail is present not only in discussions of specific maladies and sequalae, but also in the examination of management strategies. Care is also taken to address the dual tasks of the consultant cardiologist---how to bring a personal touch and happy ending to the cardiovascular problems of patients while at same time acknowledging the need for cardiac care to stay within budget, lest the rising tide of CVD bankrupt the healthcare system.

Olivier F. Bertrand, MD: Interventional Cardiology Laboratories, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada Raoul Bonan, MD: Interventional Cardiology Laboratories, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada Thomas Bump, MD: Electrophysiologist, Christ Hospital, Chicago IL Vijay Dave, MD: Director of Medical Education, Chairman, Department of Medicine, St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, IN Ted Feldman, MD: Chief, Interventional Cardiology, The University of Chicago Hospitals, IL Bernard J. Gersyh, MB CHB: Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN Chenjun Guo, MD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Chao Yang Red Cross Hospital, Beijing, PR China Dayi Hu, MD: Professor of Medicine, President, The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital University of Medical Sciences; Director, The Heart Center, Chao Yang Red Cross Hospital, Beijing, PR China Pham Manh Hung, MD, PhD: Interventional Cardiology, Vietnam Heart Institute, Hanoi Truong Thanh Huong, MD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Vietnam National Heart Institute, Hanoi Rodolpho L. Jao, MD: Consultant, Infectious Diseases, St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, IN Norman Kaplan, MD: Professor of Medicine, Head, Hypertension Division, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Pham Gia Khai, MD, PhD: Professor of Medicine and Chief, Department of Cardiology, Director, Vietnam Heart Institute, Hanoi Pham Quoc Khanh, MD: Director, Electrocardiography and Electrophysiology Laboratories, Vietnam Heart Institute, Hanoi Gaurav Kumar: Research Associate, Hobart IN Chu Pak Lau, MD: Professor and Chief, Division of Cardiology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, China Lim Yean Leng, MD: Director, Singapore Heart Centre Do Doan Loi, MD: Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Hanoi Medical College; Director, Echocardiography Laboratory, Vietnam National Heart Institute, Hanoi David Meerkin, MB BS: Interventional Cardiology Laboratories, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada Thach Nguyen, MD: Professor of Medicine (Hon.) Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Director, Cardiovascular Research, St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, IN Masakiyo Nobuyoshi, MD: Chief of Cardiology and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Vice President, Kokura Memorial Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan Ta Tien Phuoc, MD: Cardiologist Consultant, Vietnam National Heart Institute, Hanoi Krishna J. Rocha-Singh, MD: Director, Vascular Medicine Program, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Southern Illinois University of Medicine, Springfield Shigeru Saito, MD: Chief of Cardiology and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Shonan Kamakura Hospital, Japan John E. Sanderson, MD: Professor, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Head, Division of Cardiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China Samuel J. Shubrooks, Jr., MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Co-Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Marc Simaga, MD: The Northern Indiana Neurological Institute, Merrillville, IN Allen J. Solomon, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC Jean-Claude Tardiff, MD: Interventional Cardiology Laboratories, Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada Gerald C. Timmis, MD: Director of Cardiac Research, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak MI Damras Tresukosol, MD: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand Hung Fat Tse, MD: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, China Nguyen Quang Tuan, MD: Interventional Cardiology, Vietnam Heart Institute, Hanoi Nguyen Lan Viet, MD: Associate Professor, Department of Cardiology, Hanoi Medical College; Vice Director, Vietnam Heart Institute, Hanoi Lefeng Wang, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing Red Cross Chao Yang Hospital, PR China Shi Wen Wang, MD, MCAE: The PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China David Wilber, MD: Chief of Electrophysiology, University of Chicago, IL Marc Wood, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond Xinchun Yang, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Vice-Director, The Heart Center, The Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing Red Cross Chao Yang Hospital, PR China