Preface

The increasing prevalence of vascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension coupled with increased longevity has resulted in a worldwide epidemic of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Never has the implication of one organ system on the other been so profound, as in the current context of the cardio-nephrology symbiosis: complex interventional strategies for vascular disease, identification of novel biomarkers of renal and cardiac injury, the ever-increasing transplantation potential of patients with complex cardiac and renal disease, and the mutually significant prognostic implications between these organ systems. Despite the expanded understanding of the nuances of both these organ systems, there still remains a “vacuum” in the interface between cardiology and nephrology in key overlap areas. Ironically, these decisions involve day to day management in patients with complex disease burden involving both systems. This textbook brings together a diverse group of extraordinary clinicians and scientists in cardiology, nephrology, hypertension, and lipidology and summarizes their collective experience and contributions in this field. The scope of this textbook extends from the outpatient management of cardiovascular and kidney disease, to hospital-based decision-making in patients with cardio-renal disease and complex interfaces such as hemodialysis in patients with ventricular assist device support. This book is intended to serve as a “one stop shop” for cardiology and nephrology clinicians and researchers dealing with the significant overlap areas between these two specialties. It should also be relevant to medical students, trainee physicians, and general internists. More importantly, the emphasis on the confluence of these specialties should translate into increased cardio-nephrology clinical and research cross-communication, which is the ultimate goal of such an endeavor. We wish to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of each author and group that has contributed their time and writing effort to embellish this textbook. Springer International has supported the concept of cardio-nephrology immensely by bringing out this textbook, and we thank their leadership, specifically Gregory Sutorius, for all their support through this process. This textbook would not be possible without the diligence and hard work of the developmental editorial team headed by Sarah Simeziane and Barbara Lopez-Lucio, and we appreciate all their efforts in giving this textbook its current form. We truly hope this textbook will foster increased awareness, interest, and applicability of key concepts in cardio-nephrology to patient care in everyday practice. The editors would like to acknowledge the following for their specialty editorial input in cardiology, for select sections of this textbook: