Cardiovascular complications are not only responsible for more than half of our patients' mortality, they also represent the bulk of everyday problems in a dialysis unit. Yet, the space allocated to them in the major textbooks covers only 2-8% of their total content. The origins of this book lie in many years of day-to-day care of dialysis patients. It gradually became clear to the author that systematic application of well-known pathophysiological principles could improve patients' conditions beyond expectations. More importantly, it appeared that world literature was mainly concerned with evaluating risk factors and that efforts to improve prognosis were concentrated on urea removal. It is important, therefore, to notice that `Volume Control', the central issue of this book, is not incorporated into the `Adequacy' concept. While primarily intended for dialysis doctors, the author sincerely hopes that dialysis nurses, who carry the lion's share of day-to-day responsibility for dialysis patients, will also find this book a useful and practical guide to dialysis treatment.

Arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease and heart fail ure are the commonest cardiovascular conditions to present in clinical practice. Over the past few years it has become in creasingly clear that they are closely and causally interrelated and that their relationship can have a significant bearing on prognosis. Epidemiological studies have shown that arterial hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for de veloping heart failure. Only one in four patients with hyper tension is adequately managed, and in 50% of cases, the hypertension has not been recognised or treated. Patients with pre-existing hypertension who go on to suffer an acute myocardial infarction have usually not previously had typi cal angina symptoms, the infarct territory is larger, life threatening arrhythmias are commoner and hence in-hospi tal mortality and long-term prognosis are markedly worse. The presence of raised blood pressure in the post-infarct phase doubles the risk of manifest heart failure. The close relationship between hypertension, coronary heart disease and heart failure makes the choice of therapeu tic strategy particularly important. Agents and classes of agents that have prognostic value in all three conditions should be considered first, as synergy might result in addi tional benefits. In such patients, this sort of therapeutic deci sion-making might have further advantages. The use of these agents may prevent complications which are not yet clinically obvious (such as heart failure).

This issue of Cardiology Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Silvi Shah and Charuhas V. Thakar, will focus on Diabetes/Kidney/Heart Disease. Topics include, but are not limited to, Cardiorenal syndrome-Pathophysiology; Cardiorenal syndrome- treatment; Hypertensive Emergencies; Contrast induced acute kidney injury; Acute Kidney Injury, Heart failure, and health outcomes; Hypertension management in CKD/ESRD/DM; Arrhythmias/ICD/LVAD, Afib, and dialysis; Apol1 and blood pressure changes/hypertension; Novel ant-diabetic therapies and CV reduction; and Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Hypertension is fast becoming a pandemic of enormous proportions, and its sequelae of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events is making it a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The interrelationship of hypertension and kidney changes though established for quite some time, the exact mechanisms and causality are still being discovered. The role of kidney as evidenced by subtle changes in the initiation of ‘primary hypertension’ is increasingly being scrutinized. The effects of established renal causes that induce hypertension such as renal artery stenosis are well established. Pediatric population is also no longer immune to this potentially debilitating condition. This book will help the readers to: Understand the intricacies of the genesis of hypertension and its effects on the kidney Explore the various established guidelines and newer promising aspects in diagnosis and management of hypertension and the kidney changes Know the newer emerging concepts in the treatment of hypertension in the pediatric population Enlighten them about the benefits of timely management of the condition to prevent its progression to end-stage kidney disease, which requires expensive and invasive interventions not suitable to majority of population in a developing country like ours. This book aims to guide the practitioner to diagnose and manage hypertension in the setting of suspected, diagnosed, or established kidney disease with special reference to practical experience in India.

Extending from the outpatient management of cardiovascular and kidney disease, to hospital-based decision making in patients with cardio-renal disease and complex interfaces such as hemodialysis in patients with ventricular assist device support, this book serves as a single reference point for cardiology and nephrology clinicians and researchers dealing with the significant overlap areas between these two specialties. Chapters cover the physiology, biomarkers, therapeutic agents and full spectrum of these comorbidities and feature separate sections on cardiovascular and CKD evaluations, stratification of kidney transplant patients, lipid management in CKD, interventional strategies and hypertension. Leaders in cardiology, nephrology, hypertension and lipidology bring together the latest evidence with their collective clinical experience into this invaluable resource.This textbook is an essential resource for physicians and allied professionals practicing cardiology, nephrology, students and physician trainees, to deepen their understanding of this crucial field.