There have been major advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes in recent years. A host of new pharmacologic therapies and interventional strategies are now available, and clinical practitioners are faced with a complex array of choices for the treatment of patients who present with chest pain.

What is the best way to gauge the risk of an adverse outcome for a patient with chest pain? What advantages do low-molecular-weight heparins offer over conventional unfractionated heparin? Which patients are the best candidates for intracoronary stenting? These and other questions are addressed in this series, edited by Paul Armstrong, a Professor of Cardiology at the University of Alberta.

  New advances in the management of acute coronary syndromes [Commentary]