Dilated Cardiomyopathy [antikvár]

Preface Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in industrialized nations. Although the death rate from myocardial infarction has declined modestly since 1965 in the United States, the incidence of congestive heart failure is increasing. In 1970, the diagnosis of congestive heart failure was made on discharge from U.S. hospitals in 150,000 patients. By 1983, this diagnosis increased to 500,000. The prevalence in this country is now thought to be between 2 and 3 million. It is not known if this is due to better diagnostic methods or whether the incidence is truly rising. Not all of congestive heart failure is dilated cardiomyopathy. In fact, the largest percentage is probably due to ischemic heart disease. Although the true incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy is not known, we feel, without substantiation, that the incidence is probably increasing. The fascination of dilated cardiomyopathy is its mystery. The etiology, pathogenesis, and the best therapy are not known at the present time. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a challenge to physicians caring for the patient because it requires some knowledge of fields with which we generally have little contact, including pathology, biochemistry, virology, and immunology. The purpose of this book is to build from a clinical base and to relate pertinent facts from the other disciplines. The authors hope that the resultant insights may provide a better understanding of the dilated cardiomyopathy patient. This book is based on over 300 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy seen between 1978 and 1984 at the Ohio