Advances in Cardiomyopathies

Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date overview on the ethiology, pathophysiology, clinical and therapeutic aspects of cardiomyopathies, edited by distinguished clinical researchers, who designed and followed a prospective natural history study on cardiomyopathies. Particular emphasis is given to clinical relevance of basic science advances in the field, from genetics to immunology. Controversial therapeutic issues are discussed. An eminently practical section is devoted to beta-blockade, the most novel medical treatment for heart failure. Non medical treatment options from pacing to cardiomyoplasty, artificial assist devices and transplantation are reviewed.