Preface
Recently, the attention of cardiologists, focused on heart rhythm disorders, has moved beyond traditional symptoms and pathologies to gain a wider perspective. Pacemakers with the newly acquired possibilities of resynchronization therapy go far beyond the assurance of a normal heart rate. The possibility of preventing sudden death by cardioverter-defibrillator implantation is ruled mainly by clinical facts, outside ‘pure’ electrophysiological domains. Information from surface ECG, such as the QT interval, has not lost importance; on the contrary, it has proved to be a marker of risk in such a general context as the administration of common, even over-the-counter drugs. The issues concerning potential QT prolongation and arrhythmogenic risk remain unresolved. Finally, the last realm of arrhythmology is represented by atrial fibrillation. The electrical activity of this arrhythmia has been often described as ‘chaos’, possibly using the term quite vaguely. Anyway, the indications, technical endpoints, and outcome of ablation for atrial fibrillation are lacking. In this issue, a thorough and up-to-date review on the topic is offered. However, the treatment of atrial fibrillation and rhythm disorders is expected to benefit not only from ablation. Antiarrhythmic drugs, now a little out of the spotlight, may return in the shape of new, very specifically targeted compounds. This selection of topics make up a cutting edge update on the field of heart rhythm disorders and cardiac rhythm management, appealing to the specialist and lay cardiologist.
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