Foreword

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle causing cardiac myocyte injury and myocardial dysfunction, which impair structural and functional ventricular filling or ejection of blood in the absence of other structural or vascular heart diseases. As a compendium on cardiomyopathies, it hence, provides a superb amalgamation between basic/translational science and clinical medicine on a wide variety of expertise in the field of both cardiology (therapeutics) and cardiovascular surgery by two renowned talented practicing surgeons and academicians alongside carefully selected contributors who are also recognized authorities in the field of medicine and surgery. Both Professor Jinfu Yang and Iroegbu C Daniel M.D are distinguished scholars who have both made a significant impact in the field of cardiology and cardiac surgery (adult and pediatric) over the years. They both have special surgical interest in aortic surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repairs, and valve replacements, maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, lung and chest wall diseases (Dr. Daniel), heart failure, heart transplantation, and basic/translational research (basic medicine, biomolecular science, cardiac biochemistry and physiology, experience pathology, molecular biology, molecular epidemiology and pathology). These two expert editors have both thoroughly revised and combined their expertise and unique perspectives with a group of highly experienced specialized contributors to present a comprehensive Book on cardiomyopathies from basic to therapeutics, and the possible future developments/outlooks to reflect the current knowledge and practice in the field today. This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art concise view of the current knowledge and understanding of cardiomyopathies. The essence of excellence in cardiology and cardiac surgery strongly relies on a massive collaborative effort from the family physician, epidemiologists, geneticist basic/clinical science researchers to therapeutic physicians and surgeons themselves which this Book Compendium On Cardiomyopathies - Basics, Therapeutics, and Perspectives extensively and thoroughly discusses. The editors and their selected authors have to be thanked for their combined effort to present practitioners, a concise, clear and detailed current knowledge of the discussed cardiomyopathies with respect to both basic/translational science and clinical science. This Book Compendium On Cardiomyopathies - Basics, Therapeutics, and Perspectives significantly, adds to in-depth knowledge of practitioners and medical students at large and will very likely be a valuable bedside reference for us all.