It is our pleasure to announce the 18th Cardiology Update Course to be held in Davos, Switzerland from 15-20 February 2009. This five-day programme offers a comprehensive update of major topics in cardiology today presented by a distinguished international teaching faculty. Since its foundation in 1975 Cardiology Update was held every 2nd year in Davos and the course benefited from an increasing reputation and growing number of participants over the years. The course is a joint educational programme by the Foundation for Cardiovascular Research at the University Hospital Zurich and the European Society of Cardiology, ESC.

Our ambition is to provide a high level education and disseminate the latest knowledge about advances in the prevention, diagnosis as well as pharmacological and interventional treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The scientific programme covers a broad spectrum of topics including atherosclerosis and its risk factors, coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes, revascularisation strategies, arrhythmias, heart failure as well as the latest progress in the management of valve disease and stem cell therapy. Special lectures will be dedicated to the newest ESC Practice Guidelines.

Cardiology Update is designed for clinicians specialised in cardiology, internal and general medicine. Besides the traditional state of the art lectures a strong emphasis is placed on interactive education with the aim to provide guidance in everyday practice. The features include case presentations with computer-assisted voting, clinical decision seminars and meet-the-expert-sessions. Poster Sessions will inform about new scientific findings at the frontiers of cardiology. The spirit of the course is a stimulating working and learning environment combined with a variety of informal events and opportunities for direct interactions between faculty members and participants.