More than 160 leading international experts have joined forces to provide coverage of essential aspects of contemporary cardiology -- from molecular genetics, to preventive cardiology, to state-of-the-art interventional cardiology techniques, to current health care policy trends that affect cardiovascular medicine.Each chapter is written by one or more recognized authorities, who review major controversies, provide personal perspectives, and project future developments over the next five years. Coverage includes all the issues important to today's cardiologist, internal medicine specialist, and family practitioner, such as use of stents, how to perform a coronary angiogram, cardiology in the managed care era, quality of cardiovascular medicine, and medicolegal problems.