Search

The second edition of this educational book provides an updated resource on how best to discuss and manage acute and chronic presentations of renal diseases. All chapters have been reviewed and updated to reflect changes which directly affect clinical practice and new chapters have been added including Dialysis and Poisoning, Urinalysis/Microscopy and Renal Biopsy. Chapters now include information on key clinical trials for management strategiesAllowing for concise reading on specific topics this book acts as both a quick reference text and study guide. The layout has been designed in a question and answer format in order to promote self-directed learning. Images and diagrams have been further standardized and improved for the new edition and remain a key feature of the book.Clinical Companion in Nephrology, second edition, is an invaluable resource for junior doctors, medical students and renal nurses who encounter renal patients in their daily practice.

This work offers a comprehensive reference guide to help clinicians in the field of Internal Medicine addressing common aspects of endocrinological disorders in their daily practice. The exponential growth in our knowledge of biomedicine calls for continuous multidisciplinary approaches across specialists and disciplines. In this volume, recognized experts in each given area explore the complex mechanisms linking endocrinological disorders to abnormalities of the cardiovascular system, kidney, liver and gastrointestinal tract, autoimmune, neuro-psychiatric, rheumatic, and dermatologic diseases. Aspects connected to critically ill and elderly patients are examined as well, helping to enhance daily interactions with the most fragile populations observed in clinical medicine. The individual chapters are designed to deliver timely information while explaining pathophysiological mechanisms with the help of figures, flow-charts, and updated guidelines. The book offers a unique and valuable resource for all clinicians, residents, specialists, and physicians involved daily in the management of complex and multidisciplinary systemic diseases.

This book describes the latest research on the gut-kidney axis of ureic solutes; the toxico-pathological mechanisms of uremic toxin-induced organ failure, including kidney and cardiovascular tissue; and the preventive therapeutic strategies for uremia and related organ failure associated with kidney injuries and diseases. Retained uremic toxins cause a variety of symptoms, such as hypertension, fatigue, renal anemia, osteoporosis and neurologic impairment, which are apparent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The human gastrointestinal tract contains trillions of microorganisms, referred to as gut microbiota, which support the host metabolism by producing nutrients, such as vitamins and short-chain fatty acids. However, they also produce various harmful uremic toxins that show renal and cardiovascular toxicity, and correlate with an increased mortality in CKD patients. The composition and balance of gut microbiota are associated with the accumulation of uremic toxins and the pathophysiology of CKD, and as such are being considered for a novel therapeutic strategy.

This book is devoted to hypertension in children and adolescents, a clinical issue that – thanks to the strides made in several areas of pathophysiological and clinical research – has received growing interest in cardiovascular medicine over the last several years. Given the increasing prevalence of hypertension in children and adolescents, this book represents an important and useful tool to address what has become a significant public health issue. It covers a diverse range of topics, from advances in the definition of hypertension and the identification of new risk factors, to current treatment strategies. The book also presents an overview of the latest findings, including the clinical significance of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) in youth, the importance of out-of-office and central blood pressure measurement, new methods for assessing vascular phenotypes, and clustering of CV risk factors. Gathering contributions by international experts and pursuing a practice-oriented approach, the book offers a valuable tool for cardiologists, pediatricians and nephrologists, as well as general practitioners.

Die Anwendung von Dialyseshunts in der Behandlung chronisch nierenkranker Patienten wird auch in der 3. Auflage des etablierten Buches fundiert und umfassend in allen Facetten dargestellt. Vorbereitung und Planung sind eine interdisziplinäre Aufgabe für Nephrologen und Gefäßchirurgen. Detailliert werden Auswahl und Anlage der autologen Gefäßzugänge und arteriovenösen Interponate beschrieben, ebenso die Anwendung zentralvenöser Katheter. Ein großes Kapitel ist der Beherrschung von Komplikationen gewidmet. Shuntpflege und Shuntpunktion sind ebenso berücksichtigt wie die Besonderheiten der Gefäßzugänge bei Kindern.

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.

This book illustrates applications of mathematics to various processes (physiological or artificial) involving flowing blood, including hemorheology, microcirculation, coagulation, kidney filtration and dialysis, offering a historical overview of each topic. Mathematical models are used to simulate processes normally occurring in flowing blood and to predict the effects of dysfunctions (e.g. bleeding disorders, renal failure), as well as the effects of therapies with an eye to improving treatments. Most of the models have a completely new approach that makes patient-specific simulations possible. The book is mainly intended for mathematicians interested in medical applications, but it is also useful for clinicians such as hematologists, nephrologists, cardio-surgeons, and bioengineers. Some parts require no specific knowledge of mathematics. The book is a valuable addition to mathematics, medical, biology, and bioengineering libraries.

This new edition is devoted to a broad array of topics involving the circadian variation in cardiovascular diseases, with focuses on hypertension, stroke, and coronary disease. The volume covers clinical and device research related to home and ambulatory BP monitoring, as there have been significant advances in technology since the publication of the previous edition. In addition, there is an increased focus on the applicability of home and ambulatory BP monitoring in drug development in all therapeutic arenas. The text features contributions from chapter authors from around the world and who have great expertise in cardiovascular medicine, therapeutics, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine.Blood Pressure Monitoring in Cardiovascular Medicine and Therapeutics, Third Edition is essential reading for a large audience, including those practicing cardiology and nephrology with a special focus in hypertension, geriatrics and internal medicine, clinical trialists, regulators in the US, Europe, and Japan, and physicians in training in cardiology, hypertension, pharmacology, nephrology and neurology.

This book presents and describes a series of informative clinical cases with the aim of providing the reader with a clear understanding of the most frequent and challenging scenarios that a cardiologist may face during daily clinical practice. All major topics in modern clinical cardiology are addressed, including acute ischemic heart disease, conditions that mimic ischemic heart disease, heart failure and resynchronization therapy, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, arrhythmias and channelopathies. Guidance is provided on imaging techniques and their interpretation, patient management taking into account potential comorbidities and follow-up appropriate to the clinical circumstances. The paradigmatic clinical cases in this book will serve as a sound basis for learning for medical students, residents and others wishing to meet successfully the challenges posed by cardiac disease. In addition, the book will be a very useful reference for the more experienced cardiologist.

This educational book teaches the reader on how best to discuss and manage acute and chronic presentations of renal diseases. An invaluable resource for junior doctors, medical students and renal nurses who encounter renal patients in their daily practice. Allowing for concise reading on specific topics this book acts as both a quick reference text and study guide. The layout has been designed in a question & answer format in order to promote self-directed learning.

Das aktualisierte und umfangreich erweiterte Buch über AT1-Antagonisten wendet sich an alle Ärzte in Klinik und Praxis, die sich mit der Therapie von Herz-Kreislauferkrankungen, insbesondere der essentiellen Hypertonie, der Herzinsuffizienz, dem Postmyokardinfarkt und Nephropathien beschäftigen. Um dem Leser das Verständnis und den Umfang mit dieser neuen Substanzklasse zu erleichtern, sind den Kapiteln über Hypertonie, Nephropathien und Herzerkrankungen ein Kapitel über die Physiologie und Pathophysiologie des Renin-Angiotensin-Systems sowie ein Kapitel über die Pharmakologie und Klinische Pharmakologie der AT1-Antagonisten vorgeschaltet. Ein Kapitel über Neben- und Wechselwirkungen rundet das Werk ab.

ATj-Rezeptorantagonisten sind eine Substanzklasse, die ähnlich wie die ACE-Hemmer wirken, wenngleich sie unterschiedliche Wirkmechanismen auszeichnen, und die ähnlich erfolgreich sind, obwohl sie erst seit gut drei Jahren auf dem deutschen Arzneimittelmarkt verfügbar sind. Die zweite Aussage ist von der ersten abhängig: die erfolgreiche Behandlung kardio­ vaskulärer Erkrankungen mit Hemmstoffen, die am Renin-Angiotensin-System (RAS) angreifen, nämlich der ACE-Inhibitoren, hat den Weg für die Therapie mit ATj-Antago­ nisten gebahnt. Der voraussehbare Erfolg des Prinzips AT j-Rezeptorenblockade bei Ärzten und Patienten hat dazu geführt, daß sich viele Pharmazeutische Unternehmen mit der neuen Substanzklasse beschäftigten und nun ihre Substanzen auf dem Markt einführen. Innerhalb von nur drei Jahren wurde bereits die sechste Substanz in Deutschland zuge­ lassen, und die ATI-Antagonisten brechen damit den Rekord der ACE-Hemmer. Die antihypertensiven, kardioprotektiven, vasoprotektiven und nephroprotektiven Eigenschaften der ATI-Antagonisten wurden in präklinischen Untersuchungen am Tier­ experiment mit ACE-Inhibitoren aber auch anderen Antihypertensiva verglichen und ein­ drucksvoll belegt, die klinische Wirksamkeit wird zur Zeit in großangelegten Mortali­ tätsstudien für alle protektiven Wirkungen untersucht. Ein Fazit kann bereits jetzt schon gezogen werden: AT I-Antagonisten sind bis heute die Antihypertensiva mit den wenigsten Nebenwirkungen! Das vorliegende Buch faßt die Vorträge eines internationalen Candesartan Kongresses auf Deutsch zusammen, der im April 1998 in Hamburg im ICC stattfand.

We have witnessed a rapid development within the field of the kidney and hypertension in diabetes mellitus. A significant amount of work within the traditional areas has been published, and several new dimensions are now being developed, mostly in the experimental setting. These dimensions are discussed in several chapters of this new edition, The Kidney and Hypertension in Diabetes Mellitus, Fourth Edition. This volume endeavors to cover all aspects of renal involvement in diabetes. It is written by colleagues who are themselves active in the many fields of medical research covered in this volume: epidemiology, physiology and pathophysiology, laboratory methodology and renal pathology.

More than half a million people worldwide are now sustained by renal replacement therapy, mainly hemodialysis at a cost exceeding USD 30 billion per year. Each case of ESRD that is delayed or prevented saves funds that may be applied to other aspects of health care. Edited by an internationally renowned nephrologist, Prognosis for Kidney Disorders provides a timely summary of exciting work in progress directed toward renoprotection and of ultimate interdiction of ESRD. Suitable for researchers and clinicians, Dr. Morrell Michael Avram has collected and commented on promising initiatives likely to enter everyday practice in the immediate future. Suitable for renal trainees, experienced kidney doctors, nurses, nutritionists and cardiologists.

In 1994, the expert knowledge of Ram Gokal and Karl D. Nolph, the two foremost figures in the field of peritoneal dialysis, was combined to produce the first edition of the Textbook of Peritoneal Dialysis. The work quickly became recognised as the `gold standard'for those working in the field. Since its conception, however, our understanding of peritoneal dialysis related physiology, kinetics and clinical outcomes, as well as the concepts of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, has increased sufficiently to make an updated and completely revised edition of the work necessary. An expansion of the editorial team by fellow-experts Ramesh Khanna and Raymond Krediet enabled an even more comprehensive approach to be taken. This second edition reasserts the book's uniqueness in its detailed discussion of the topic, making it required reading for all those working within the field of peritoneal dialysis.

Durch die technische Weiterentwicklung von der einfachen Dopplersonographie bis hin zur farbkodierten Duplexsonographie ist diese Methode in vielen Gebieten der Medizin mittlerweile ein wichtiger Bestandteil der nichtinvasiven Gefäßdiagnostik geworden. Die Spezialisierung in der Medizin macht eine für die einzelnen Fachgebiete differenzierte Literatur auch für die Duplexsonographie notwendig. In diesem Buch wird deshalb die Anwendung dieser Diagnostik auf dem Gebiet der Nieren- und Hochdruckkrankheiten abgehandelt. Dazu gehört die Diagnostik der renalen Hypertonie, die Erkennung von Komplikationen nach Nierentransplantation sowie die Diagnostik von Dialyseshunts. Damit sind jedoch nicht nur Nephrologen, sondern auch Radiologen und Internisten angesprochen.

Der arterielle Bluthochdruck ist die häufigste Form der Druckbelastung des linken Ventrikels. Der Hochdruck selbst gilt als einer der wichtigsten Risikofaktoren der koronaren Herzkrankheit. In dieser 3. Neuauflage werden erstmals systematische Untersuchungen zur Hypertrophieregression des Ventrikelmyokards sowie zur Beeinflussung der hypertensiven Mikroangiopathie dargestellt. Darüber hinaus analysiert der Autor die Probleme der Inzidenz von Herzrhythmusstörungen bei hypertensiver Herzhypertrophie, der diastolischen Eigenschaften des linken Ventrikels, der stummen Myokardischämie sowie der Rheologie des Koronarkreislaufs. Die Neuauflage berücksichtigt die Umsetzung der neuesten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse in der Therapie des Hochdruckherzens.

Das Buch behandelt die strukturellen und funktionellen Schädigungen infolge arterieller Hypertonie (Endorganschädigungen) an Blutgefäßen, Herz und Niere. Unter Einbeziehung neuester wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse werden praktische Hinweise für die Frühdiagnostik und Therapie der hypertensiven Herzkrankheit, der Nephropathie und Vaskulopathie gegeben. Die praktische Bedeutung liegt in der frühzeitigen Erkennung und Behandlung rückbildungsfähiger Veränderungen, um einen schleichenden Übergang in irreversible Schädigungen zu vermeiden.

Dieses Buch beschreibt die Bedeutung des Kallikrein-Kinin-Systems für die Nierenfunktion und die Kreislaufregulation und diskutiert die Rolle seiner Regulationsmechanismen. Im 1. Teil des Buches werden die aktuellsten, hochspezifischen Meßverfahren vorgestellt, die als Grundlage für die Tierversuche und die Studien an Probanden und Patienten verwendet wurden. Erstmalig steht damit eine zuverlässige Bestimmung der einzelnen Komponenten dieses Systems zur Verfügung. Der 2. Teil des Buches befaßt sich mit der physiologischen Bedeutung des renalen Kallikrein-Kinin-Systems für die Nierenfunktion und die Kreislaufregulation, während im 3. Teil renale und plasmatische Veränderungen im Kallikrein-Kinin-System an dem wohl bisher größten Patientenkollektiv mit arterieller Hypertonie berichtet wird. Dieses Buch ist für die klinische und wissenschaftliche Arbeit aller Forscher, die sich mit diesem Thema beschäftigen, ein ausgezeichnetes Nachschlagewerk.

Im vorliegenden Band wird die vielschichtige klinische Problematik von Herzmuskel- und Perikarderkrankungen sowie der Herz- und Perikardtumoren ausführlich dargestellt. Die Klassifizierung der Myokarderkrankungen folgt der derzeitigen Einteilung in (primäre) Kardiomyopathien und (sekundäre) spezifische Herzmuskelerkrankungen. Besondere Schwerpunkte liegen in der Darstellung der Immunpathogenese myokardialer Erkrankungen und der Anwendung neuer diagnostischer Verfahren wie Myokardbiopsie und bildgebender Verfahren. Breiter Raum ist in der Therapie neben den klassischen Methoden der Anwendung von Vasodilatantien, Betablockern, Kalziumantagonisten und Immunsuppressiva gewidmet. Erstmalig werden Myokardalterationen bei genetischen Erkrankungen und neurologischen Systemkrankheiten zusammenfassend dargestellt. Von besonderer Aktualität sind toxische Einwirkungen auf das Myokard sowie Strahlenschäden. Internisten und allen kardiologisch interessierten Ärzten vermittelt dieser Band umfassende Basisinformationen über die diagnostischen und therapeutischen Fortschritte unter Einschluß der jeweils aktuellen Probleme in Pathogenese und Therapie.

Das Standardwerk zur arteriellen Hypertonie, das keine noch so knifflige Frage ausläßt! Die Klinik aller Hypertonieformen, die zeitgemäße Diagnostik und alle etablierten und neuen Therapieansätze sind von den jeweiligen Top-Spezialisten beschrieben. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt auf dem Umgang mit speziellen therapeutischen Problemen. Kein Arzt in Praxis und Klinik, der Patienten mit arterieller Hypertonie betreut, kann auf dieses Buch verzichten. Von der Hochdruckliga wird das Buch empfohlen.

Das vorliegende Buch über AT1-Antagonisten wendet sich an alle Ärzte in Klinik und Praxis, die sich mit der Therapie von Herz-Kreislauferkrankungen, insbesondere der essentiellen Hypertonie, der Herzinsuffizienz, dem Postmyo- kardinfarkt und Nephropathien beschäftigen. Um dem Leser das Verständnis und den Umgang mit dieser neuen Substanzklasse zu erleichtern, sind den Kapiteln über Hypertonie, Nephropathien und Herzerkrankungen ein Kapitel über die Physiologie und Pathophysiologie des Renin-Angio- tensin-Systems sowie ein Kapitel über die Pharmakologie und Klinische Pharmakologie der AT1-Antagonisten vorgeschaltet. Ein Kapitel über Neben- und Wechselwirkungen rundet das Werk ab.

New principles for the treatment of diabetes are described in this volume. Experts present experimental and clinical data on treatment with acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that delays absorption of fast carbohydrates. Toxicologic, pharmacologic and metabolic effects of acarbose are discussed. A concluding section on the future aspects of alpha-glucosidase inhibition offers a fair assessment of therapeutic possibilities.

Controversy regarding the wisdom of a high salt intake has been with us for 5000 years. In the Nei Ching, the oldest of the extant medical writings, the Yellow Emperor observed,'Hence, if too much salt is in the food, the pulse hardens, tears make their appearance, and the complexion changes'. At about the same period in history, Job asked the question,'Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt?'It is not apparent whether or not the Almighty provided a clear answer. The connection between dietary salt intake and hypertension was appreciated following the observations of AMBARD, BEAUJARD, VOLLHARD, ALLEN, and others. However, DAHL emphasized this relationship, as demonstrated by his epidemiological observations, his studies in human subjects, and his development of a genetically mediated form of salt-sensitive hypertension in rats. DAHL and his followers argued that hypertension was a disease of acculturation, or even of self-abuse. Undaunted by skeptics such as PICKERING, they suggested that if Western man would merely curtail his intake of the granular condiment, hypertension would not develop and blood pressure would not increase with age. Bucolic native societies were given as examples where such cardiovascular bliss was readily attained.

Recent experimental and clinical research performed by outstanding authorities has enabled us to characterize fundamental processes that govern the regulation of salt and water content of the body. Their results have provided not only an important gain of insight into mechanisms at the cellular level but also the possibility to integrate single cell activities into a complex organ function. Moreover, this knowledge enables scientists to develop broader concepts concerning the regulation of organ function and thus contributes to a better understanding of the overall status in health and disease. In the present volume some of these physiologists and clinicians discuss principal questions of humoral and non-humoral influences involved in the control of electro­ lyte and fluid content of the organism. It contains three essential topics: Data concerning basic principles of cell behaviour and transport processes are followed by the description of natriuretic substances and their influence on volume regulation. Finally, attempts are undertaken to elucidate the meaning of these basic principles for the explanation of the development of patholocigal states. This symposion was held in honor to Professor H. P. Wolff, one of the internatio­ nally wellknown pioneers in this field of clinical research. The editors· wish to express their graditude to the Melusin-Schwarz-Monheim GmbH for the generous support of the symposion.

The prevention and correction of high blood pressure obviously is not an end in itself but a means of preventing cardiovascular complications. It is tempting to res ort to antihypertensive drugs, for the simple reason that current preparations are easy to dose and to take. There is a variety of reasons, however, to take advantage of the antihypertensive potential of nonpharmaco­ logical approaches first. For one thing, the use of tablets tends to accentuate the negative effects oflabelling a subject as hypertensive. The act oftaking tablets per se may elicit a spectrum of subjective adverse effects, as we have learned from placebo-controlled therapeutic trials. Even more importantly, the benefits of antihypertensive drug treatment are largely confined to the reduction of stroke and disease of the large vessels. With regard to incidence of cardiac events, some modest beneficial effects have been registered, such as a decrease in congestive heart failure and in the fatality rate of myocardial infarction. The effects on the incidence of coronary heart disease are only marginal at best. This disappointing finding has been ascribed to various factors: unwanted metabolie effects of anti­ hypertensive drugs, inadvertent drops in diastolic pressure interfering with coro­ nary perfusion, and, last but not least, failure to eliminate risk factors other than high blood pressure (smoking, alcohol abuse, lipid and glucose disturbanees, obesity, and the hemodynamic disadvantages of a sedentary life). Most of these additional noxious factors are refractory to drug treatment and call for modifica­ tion of life-style.

The use 0\ contrast media within diagnostic radiology has been firmly established for many years now. Radiologic contrast media render immense services in daily clinical practice to innumerable patients all over the world. When the new cross­ sectional modalities such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance ima­ ging were introduced into clinical practice it rapidly became evident that the judi­ cious use of contrast media allows the optimal exploitation of the great diagnostic potential of these revolutionary methods. More recently, efforts to create specific contrast media for ultrasound imaging have been successful, and the first benefi­ cial results of their application in daily practice are now evident. The aim of this book is to bring together the results of the tremendous research that has been performed during recent years in order to develop specific contrast media for magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography and also to develop safer contrast media for the classical radiologic techniques as well as computed tomography. Moreover, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the indica­ tions for and applications of these new contrast media in clinical radiology. Finally, risks, side-effects, and complications which may occur with the use of these drugs are covered appropriately. The three editors are leading and well-known experts in their specific field. They have been very successful in ensuring the collaboration of so many intern~tionally known specialists to cover the different topics dealt with in this book.

On behalf of the organizing committee of this symposium, I would like to wel­ come you to Cologne and thank you very much for coming. We appreciate that some of the leading scientists in the field of hypertension have accepted our invi­ tation to participate actively at this conference. Our first symposium on renin-angiotensin, aldosterone, and hypertension took place at Titisee in the Black Forest in 1967. The second one, on the renin-angio­ tensin-aldosterone system under the influence of therapeutic procedures, was held at the same place in 1970. Five years later in 1975 at a third symposium in Cologne, we discussed the problems of central nervous control of sodium balance in relation to the renin-angiotensin system. The symposium about to begin is devoted to the significance of mineralocorti­ coids in developing and sustaining arterial hypertension. 1) In order to provide a physiologic background for the understanding of the mechanisms involved in this complicated process, new concepts on the regulation of mineralocorticoid secretion must be discussed in detail. As the most important mineralocorticoid, aldosterone is regulated by changes in sodium and potassium homeostasis and is also influenced by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Currently, individuals interested in seeking an in-depth discussion of transplantation immunology must seek individual articles published in several journals, or extrapolate information from various non-transplant immunology textbooks. The purpose of this text is to provide the reader with a single source of information for the basic science of immunobiology of organ transplantation. It is unique that it focuses on immunobiology from the basic research side, with an emphasis on the cellular and molecular levels. The readers will be physicians, scientists, and graduate students interested and engaged in the study of immunology as it relates to allo- and xenotransplantation. This book is designed to be the reference standard for the immunobiology of transplantation.

The association of diabetes mellitus and hypertension has been well known for a long time. However, the important impact of hypertension on the development of chronic complications of diabetes and on the prognosis of the diabetic patient has only recently been realized. The increasing number of patients with endstage diabetic nephropathy who need regular dialysis or renal transplantation reflects only one important aspect of this problem. As new targets for the treatment of hypertension were considered, it became evident, that drug treatment of hypertension in diabetics must take side effects into account which may be negligible in the nondiabetic patient. Basic research has granted much new insight into the mechanisms which function to link diabetes, kidney function, hypertension, and vascular disease. As a result of the high specialisation in research, such new information diffuses only slowly out of the circles of experts into clinical practice. Therefore, it was a most rewarding initiative of the Bayer Company to sponsor a conference which aimed at a mutual exchange of ideas between clinicians and researchers who are experts in either hypertension or diabetes.

The previous volume on Antihypertensive Agents in the Handbook of Experi­ mental Pharmacology, published in 1977, was edited by the late Franz Gross from the Department of Pharmacology in Heidelberg, who was one of the grand old men in hypertension research. Now, more than 10 years later, it is necessary to update this volume. From the early days of antihypertensive drug treatment, starting about 30 years ago with drugs such as reserpine and guanethidine, the pharmacology of cardiovas'­ cular therapy has evolved into a highly sophisticated and effective therapeutic regimen. The major breakthroughs in the 1960s were the introduction of diuretics and beta-blockers. Then, in the 1980s, came the calcium antagonists and con­ verting enzyme inhibitors. It can be anticipated that the next decade will see a further expansion and sophistication of blood pressure lowering drugs. This book provides a state-of-the-art discussion of chemical, experimental, and clinical pharmacological data as well as of practical experience with drugs which are presently being used or which are going to be introduced on the market in the near future. The purpose of this volume is to provide a complete discussion of antihypertensive agents. Each major class of antihypertensive drugs is treated exhaustively in a separate chapter, fully referenced with chemical formulae, and richly illustrated with figures and tables. International authorities were asked to contribute in their respective fields of expertise.

MRI has opened up new possibilities in combined morphological and functional imaging, and now there is a book which discusses both aspects together. Two systems which already demonstrate the advantages of MRI are presented. In the cardiovascular system, motion and flow can be imaged so that even flow velocities in the deep vessels of the body can be measured, and turbulences can be identified. In the study of the kidneys, a combination of renally excreted contrast media and imaging provides within seconds insight into glomerular filtration in health and disease. These current possibilities, and their limitations, bring insight into the future potential of MRI.

All aspects of nitrate therapy, including conventional and new formulations and delivery systems, are covered in this book. For each drug the formulation, mechanism of action, indications, effects, adverse reactions and special problems are systematically described. The use of nitrates in specific population groups, such as infants, children and the elderly, is dealt with separately. The book is updated, based not only on the world literature but also on the most recent conference presentations, and provides the reader with thorough and practice-oriented coverage.

This title provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art summary of current and future immunosuppressive strategies in transplantation, with emphasis on the basic science mechanisms and clinical applicability of these strategies. The uniqueness of this book is the inclusion of up-to-date information on the basic mechanisms of actions of the immunosuppressive drugs as well as a summary of the clinical trials data and the potential use of these drugs in clinical organ transplantation. In addition to describing the various immunosuppressive strategies, the book has three special features, including immunosuppression in xenotransplantation, gene therapy approaches, and transplantation tolerance. A group of outstanding investigators have been assembled to write the chapters. The book is intended for the transplant professional and the specialist who wants to stay abreast of the current status of immunosuppression in organ transplantation. The book is also useful for basic scientists who work in the field of transplantation immunology.