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Book Reviews

Statins: Understanding Clinical Use, First ed.Jawahar L. Mehta (Ed.), Saunders (Imprint of Elsevier),Philadelphia, 2004, 334 pp., ISBN 0721603807, Recom-mended Retail Price A$69.30.

This compact textbook explores both the lipid-dependent and the lipid-independent “pleiotropic”

effects of statins. It is authored by numerous experts, in-cluding the editor, a leading researcher in thefieldof lipidsand clinical cardiology, who co-authors four chapters.The book is divided into sixteen chapters with only two

chapters focusing on the clinical aspects of prevention ofatherosclerotic events. The remaining chapters focus onthe pleiotropic effects of statins with a strong bias towardsthe molecular and biochemical mechanisms of action. Itcovers the proven and potential benefits of statins in suchdiverse conditions as stroke, dementia, aortic stenosis, car-diac hypertrophy and fibrosis, inflammation and sepsis,angiogenesis, anticoagulation and diseases of bone loss. Acil

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Tel.: +61 2 9385 1383; fax: +61 2 9385 1389E-mail address: dmtanous@bigpond.com

Available online 21 July 2005

doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2004.12.004

Primary Cardiology, second ed.Eugene Braunwald, Lee Goldman (Eds.), Saunders,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2003, Illustrated B&W/Colour, 730 pages, ISBN 0-7216-9444-6, RRP $195.00.

This is a medium sized, hard cover textbook of cardiol-ogy organised by two experienced editors, and with

chapters written by many well-recognised contributors. Itis primarily aimed at general physicians and other spe-cialists with an interest in cardiology, but also may be ofinterest to general practitioners. The editors believe it fillsa crucial gap between simple manuals and texts aimed at

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ouple chapters solelyaddressnovelmechanismsofactionncluding the well-written chapter on effects on endothe-ial progenitor cells.With multiple co-authors for the numerous chapters,

he quality of chapters varied. Many chapters includedigh quality figures to strengthen the understanding of

cardiovascular specialists. It is intended to be authorita-tive yet user friendly, an aim which I believe they havesuccessfully achieved.The four sections of the book are directed to different

approaches or aspects of cardiology. The first section dis-cusses the principles of evidence based medicine, includ-

he reader. With the emphasis on basic science, the read-bility of some chapters was akin to reading a scientific

ing basic statistical issues to helpmarry clinical and inves-tigative diagnoses, covers the clinical history and exami-nation, and finishes with a chapter on echocardiography.Ttdaaasdsioe

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ournal article. There was some repetition of the introduc-ory paragraphs in the various chapters; other repetitionf information was minimal. While the metabolic path-ay for cholesterol metabolism is repeated in five sepa-ate chapters, this reinforced the potential mechanisms ofction of the various metabolites.It is not a clinical textbook but focusesmore on the basiccience background to the lipid-dependent and indepen-ent mechanisms of action. In this regard, it covers theopic of beneficial effects of statins comprehensively. Con-ersely, themolecular basis of the adverse effects of statinss not addressed. This will hopefully be rectified in futureditions. In the ever-advancing field of molecular biologynd with clinical trials in progress addressing the effectsf statins in non-atherosclerotic conditions, future edi-ions would be well received. This book will appeal toardiologists or researchers with an interest in lipids andtherosclerosis.

David J. TanousCentre for Vascular Research

University of New South WalesSydney NSW 2052, Australia

2004 Australasian Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeustralia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier Inc. Al

he second section comprehensively tackles the approacho specific cardiac symptoms and signs such as chest pain,yspnoea, andmurmurs, and includes other topics suchasn approach to asymptomatic ECG abnormalities, cardiacssessment of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery,nd cardiac disease in women and the elderly. The thirdection is called “Preventive Cardiology” and essentiallyeals with risk factor modification and key approaches tocreening for coronary disease. Lastly, the fourth sections disease based, describing evaluation and managementf the coronary syndromes, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias,tc., and is the largest section in the book.The chapters are all well organised under appropri-te headings with numerous tables, figures, and ECGsr images where appropriate. Most chapters also finishith a useful summary, and indications for referral on toore specialised cardiac care. It is easily readable, andt an appropriate level for the target audience. Indeed, Iound it a worthwhile review of basic cardiac fundamen-als, mainly missing the procedural details which wouldot be of interest to the general physician. Some of theowdiagrams appeared complicated, but if one examinedhem with a specific patient in mind, they lay out a course

and the Cardiac Society ofts reserved.

1443-9506/04/$30.00