Current challenges in vascular anaesthesia.

First paragraph: The British Journal of Anaesthesia is delighted to offer this special issue on Current Challenges in Vascular Anaesthesia. Vascular diseases are responsible for 17.3 million deaths per year worldwide; that is, 31% of global mortality. Cardiovascular disease remains a huge burden worldwide. Even as the rates of cardiovascular mortality have decreased in more economically developed countries, they have continued to increase elsewhere.