Department of Cardiology of the Postgraduate Medical School (CMKP) celebrates the 30^th anniversary this year. The history of academic centre of cardiology in Grochowski Hospital began 36 years ago (it was serving for 6 years as the Centre for Research and Teaching of Medical Academy in Warsaw). Anniversary celebrations as well as this supplement of the Progress in Medicine are dedicated to Late Professor Leszek Ceremużyński, the Founder and Director of the Department of Cardiology CMKP for many years.

We begin this special issue with a memoir of Professor Leszek Ceremużyński, and afterwards present long history and contemporary of the Department of Cardiology CMKP in Grochowski Hospital.

This anniversary issue of Progress in Medicine consists of series of review articles written by the team of our Department of Cardiology, presenting their areas of interest and clinical experience.

Our Department of Cardiology has been participating in international multicentre clinical studies for many years. The cooperation of Polish cardiology with western centry started in the beginning of 90's when Professor L. Ceremużyński, being the first in Poland, was invited to the scientific committee of ISIS-3 trial. We present outcomes of selected clinical trials involving acute coronary syndromes and antithrombotic treatment in atrial fibrillation. A lot of them were associated with considerable advance in cardiology, becoming the major turning points. There were also several frequently cited original Polish multicentre studies conducted by our Department. These studies and local as well as international scientific collaboration are also points of concern of this issue.

Next 4 articles were performed by Clinical Electrophysiology Section led by professor Piotr Kułakowski. Our Department offers a full variety of electrophysiological procedures. These articles concern practical experience on the diagnosis and treatment of typical and atypical symptoms associated with cardiac arrhythmias, position of ablation in the management of arrhythmias, theoretical and practical aspects of implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators and outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Another point in the area of scientific interest of our Department is antiplatelet and antithrombotic treatment. Optimization of antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes, increased platelet activity and hypercoagulable state in heart failure are topics of the next papers.

The Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory in our Department, in collaboration with Acute Cardiac Care Unit, has been providing 24-hour programme of invasive treatment for patients with ACS since 2002. We pay special attention at risk stratification of patients with ACS including angiographic data, and focus on this problem in the next article. Another important issues of invasive cardiac procedures: on site complications and contrast induced nephropathy, are discussed in consecutive articles.

Next interesting problem investigated in our Department is genetic and environmental background of coronary artery disease, including myocardial infarction, in young age.

Research of hyperglicemic state in ACS started early after founding our Department. Metabolic and endocrine disorders were investigated by Professor Leszek Ceremużyński. Outcomes of these studies were cited in main textbooks of cardiology. The problem of hyperglycemia in ACS is presented in the next article.

In our Department there is opportunity to use modern techniques of echocardiography and spiroergometry. One of the issues, investigated using this advanced technology, is right ventricular myocardial infarction. This topic is presented in the next paper.

The last article regards troponin release as a factor of myocardial necrosis and difficulties with diagnosis of myocardial infarction using the latest generation of troponin tests.

I would like to invite You to read these articles and also attend the Anniversary Scientific and Teaching Session on the occasion of 30 years of the Department of Cardiology CMKP, on the 6^th of December 2010.

I would like also proudly remind that these publications in Progress in Medicine and anniversary session take place in the year of the 40^th anniversary of our University, Postgraduate Medical School.