Book excerpt: Everything practicing physicians and pharmacists need to know about drug therapy for cardiovascular disease. A critically acclaimed classic reference now in its third edition, Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapeutics provides current information regarding the contemporary use of all available cardiovascular medications for adults and children. Strongly emphasizing the scientific rationale behind the use of such therapies in cardiac disease, it discusses new drugs and novel compounds that are under development and may emerge as the cardiac therapies of the future. This edition also addresses special considerations for drug therapy use in the elderly, during pregnancy, and in those with hepatic or renal disease. A generous assortment of tables, figures, and appendices guides readers in their investigations of each drug group and various disease states. This new third edition presents an in-depth discussion of: All cardiovascular agents currently available The scientific basis behind every pharmacotherapy advance Mechanisms of action of cardiovascular pharmacotherapeutics The latest advances in cardiovascular drug therapy Specific drug treatments, and information on recently approved drugs Molecular biological advances Drugs in development Hands-on discussions of how to utilize specific drugs for treatment of various cardiovascular disorders and for the prevention of disease Also included are 8 appendices that provide practical, hands-on information on using drugs in clinical settings, including relevant pharmacokinetic information, and practical drug prescribing information. All updated with an accompanying website, Advances in Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapeutics www.cvpct3.com