Predisposing conditions for acute ischemic syndromes contains the proceedings of a conference
held in Garmisch-Partenkirchcn West Germany October 14 and 15 1988. The editors of this
volume arc most grateful to the authors for their effort to provide manuscripts before the
meeting to the sponsor Bayer AG for their gen erous support and to the publishers for the
efficient collaboration all of which have made the appearance of this book possible. All
authors contributed their manu scripts in advance and they arc combined with an edited version
orlhe discussions to allow rapid publication. In coronary heart disease the prognosis for
patients is largely determined by the occurrence of irreversible ischemic damage to the
myocardium. Irreversible eveniS are certainly preceded by a destabilization of a former stable
situation. This desta bilization may occur with increasing symptomatology or without apparent
warning signs to patient and physician it may occur over a longer time period or very sud
denly. The statemenl however holds true that no patient has ever died from stable angina
pectoris. Thus if the prognosis for patients with ischemic heart disease is to be improved
the focus has to be set on recognition and treatment of unstable ischemic syndromes. It was the
goal of the conference to gather scientists and clinicans from different fields of research to
get an up-to-date view of the different aspects of unstable ischemic syndromes and to foster
interdisciplinary discussions.
