Dr. Jefferies is a recognized international expert in the field of heart muscle disease contributing much of the current literature regarding related genetic mechanisms, clinical investigation, and guideline development.Dr. Blaxall is a renowned translational basic scientist who has significantly contributed the current understanding of myocardial signalling pathways and myocyte hypertrophy. Dr. Chin is a senior investigator in the field of pediatric cardiac transplantation who is actively involved with development of novel methods for diagnosing and treating humeral and cellular rejection.Dr. Towbin is a recognized international expert in the field of heart muscle disease contributing much of the current literature regarding related genetic mechanisms, clinical investigation, and guideline development.Dr. Robbins is a revered expert in the basic science of cardiomyopathic disease, pioneering animal modelling of genetically based heart muscle disease.

Section I. Physiology and Molecular Basis of Muscle

Chapter 1. Ventricular Systolic Function

Chapter 2. Basics of Skeletal Muscle Function and Normal Physiology

Chapter 3. Molecular Pathways in Cardiomyopathies

Chapter 4. Abnormal Muscle Pathology and Physiology

Section II. Diseases of Cardio-Skeletal Phenotypes

Chapter 5. Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Cardioskeletal Involvement

Chapter 6. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Chapter 7. Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Associated With Skeletal Myopathies

Chapter 8. Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy

Chapter 9. Diseases of the Cytoskeleton: The Desminopathies

Chapter 10. Diseases of Cardiac Sarcomeres

Chapter 11. Diseases of the Intercalated Disc

Chapter 12. Diseases of the Nuclear Membrane

Section III. Metabolic Causes of Disease

Chapter 13. Mitochondrial Disorders Causing Cardioskeletal Myopathies in Childhood

Chapter 14. Nonmitochondrial Metabolic Cardioskeletal Myopathies

Section IV. Syndromal and Chromosomal Causes of Disease

Chapter 15. Cardio-Skeletal Muscle Disease Associated With Syndromes

Chapter 16. Cardioskeletal Muscle Disease Associated With Chromosomal Disorders

Section V. Cardio-Skeletal Myopathies Associated With Congenital Heart Disease

Chapter 17. Cardioskeletal Myopathies in Congenital Heart Diseases

Section VI. Future Directions in the Diagnosis and Management of Cardioskeletal Myopathic Disease in Children and Young Adults

Chapter 18. Future Diagnostic Strategies-Pediatric

Chapter 19. Neuromodulation of the Failing Heart

Cardioskeletal Myopathies in Children and Young Adults focuses on plaques that kill people in their 40's-50's and the way they start to form in young adulthood. The Annals of Family Medicine report that approximately half of young adults have at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor (Mar 2010), and an increase in cardiovascular mortality rates in young adults was substantiated in a study at Northwestern Medicine (Nov 2011).

Given the increasing recognition of genetic triggers behind all types of cardiovascular disease, and the growing population of young adults with primary or acquired myocardial disease, the need has arisen for a reference that offers a comprehensive approach to the understanding of basic, translational, and clinical aspects of specific muscle diseases while making the link between young adult and adult health.