Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is now present in nearly one percent of the general population and is expected to impact more than two percent of the industrialized world by the year 2050. This monograph by Kowey (medicine and clinical pharmacology, Jefferson Medical College) and Naccarelli (cardiology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/Pennsylvania State U. College of Medicine) provides a review of current knowledge about this cardiac arrhythmia in humans. Its 14 chapters cover epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis, electrophysiological mechanisms relating to pharmacological therapy of atria fibrillation, lessons learned from preclinical models, rate control versus maintenance of sinus rhythm, strategies for rate control, anticoagulation, cardioversion, pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation, maintenance of normal sinus rhythm with antiarrhythmic drugs, device therapy, catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery, and treatment of atrial fibrillation in the recent past and future. Annotation c2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)