“Just Being Willis”
My reflections on Dr. J. Willis Hurst should begin with 2 acknowledgments. First, I am very honored to be asked to write this piece about a man who served as…
Willis Hurst in Memoriam
Cardiology lost a giant on October 1, 2011, with the death of Dr. J. Willis Hurst in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hurst died at Emory University Hospital from complications of a…
Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Mitral Valve Tenting
Obstructive apneas produce high negative intrathoracic pressure that imposes an afterload burden on the left ventricle. Such episodes might produce structural changes in the left ventricle over time. Doppler echocardiograms…
Comparison of the Effect on Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms of Taking Versus Not Taking a Statin Drug
The potential of medical therapy to influence the courses and outcomes of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms is not known. The aim of this study was to determine whether statin…
Computerized Tomographic Quantification of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease as the Principal Determinant of Frontal P Vector
Verticalization of the P-wave axis is characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We studied the correlation of P-wave axis and computerized tomographically quantified emphysema in patients with COPD/emphysema. Individual…
Relation of Systemic-to-Pulmonary Artery Collateral Flow in Single Ventricle Physiology to Palliative Stage and Clinical Status
Systemic–to–pulmonary collateral arteries (SPCs) are common in patients with single-ventricle physiology, but their impact on clinical outcomes is unclear. The aim of this study was to use retrospective cardiac magnetic…
Cost–Effectiveness of Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin for Stroke Prevention in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in Whom Warfarin Is Unsuitable
Guidelines for atrial fibrillation (AF) recommend clopidogrel plus aspirin as an alternative stroke prevention strategy in patients in whom warfarin is unsuitable. A Markov model was conducted from a Medicare…
Comparison of Outcome of Higher Versus Lower Transvalvular Gradients in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis and Low (<40%) Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
Left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with poor outcome. This analysis was designed primarily to describe the clinical course of a large series…
Relation of Impaired Coronary Microcirculation to Increased Urine Albumin Excretion in Patients With Systemic Hypertension and No Epicardial Coronary Arterial Narrowing
Coronary flow reserve (CFR) is impaired and urinary albumin excretion is increased in patients with essential hypertension. Our aim was to investigate the associations between CFR and cardiac and renal…
Follow-Up with Exercise Test of Effort-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias Linked to Ryanodine Receptor Type 2 Gene Mutations
The aim of this study was to assess exercise test results and efficacy of therapy with a β blocker (acebutolol) in ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) mutation carriers with documented…
