The rise of cardiovascular medicine
Key Points
Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Design
Review
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“He made his entire life about answering questions that were important to improving the health of people with cardiovascular disease. He realized that was important, and it was interesting. And he organized around doing anything and everything that he could to make a dent in those problems.”
“Although our predecessors had little to work with, they clearly established cardiology as an important medical specialty; we truly stand on the shoulders of giants. Although cardiology has progressed enormously, cardiovascular disease still remains the most common cause of death worldwide, and there is much that remains to be accomplished. Importantly, the foregoing achievements are not available to large segments of the worldwide population.”
“I was in the right place at the right time, with the right collaborators, the right mentors and mentees.”
Implication
Informs contemporary risk reduction strategies in daily practice; extends perspective on how foundational discoveries drive ongoing cardiovascular research.
Abstract
Modern cardiology was born at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries with three great discoveries: the X ray, the sphygmomanometer, and the electrocardiograph. This was followed by cardiac catheterization, which led to coronary angiography and to percutaneous coronary intervention. The coronary care units and early reperfusion reduced the early mortality owing to acute myocardial infarction, and the discovery of coronary risk factors led to the development of Preventive Cardiology. Other major advances include several cardiac imaging techniques, the birth and development of cardiac surgery, and the control of cardiac arrhythmias. The treatment of heart failure, although greatly improved, remains a challenge. Current cardiology practice is evidence-based and global in scope. Research and practice are increasingly conducted in cardiovascular centres and institutes. It is likely that in the future, a greater emphasis will be placed on prevention, which will be enhanced by genetic information.
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Cite This Study
Eugene Braunwald (2012) studied this question.