[The cardiac risk patient: introduction and epidemiology].

Preexisting cardiovascular diseases are the most important risk factors in the perioperative period. They can cause complications that have a major impact on the morbidity and mortality of surgical patients. The current issue of AINS thus presents the actual state of knowledge about the pathophysiology, preoperative evaluation, and perioperative management of cardiac risk diseases in three practice-orientated review articles. Only sound knowledge of the pathophysiological background together with the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities will allow the clinically active anesthesiologist to adapt the available therapeutic and preventative options in the best possible way to the individual patient and to avoid not only medical but also economically unnecessary and/or potentially harmful interventions.