Introduction Of the more than 8 million visits to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States for chest pain or other potential ischemic symptoms, only a small minority will yield…
Introduction Outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have improved significantly over the past few decades, in large part because of newer stent platforms, better implantation techniques, and improved adjunctive medical…
Introduction Atherosclerosis is a lipoprotein-driven chronic inflammatory disease of arteries that leads to the accumulation of fibrotic, necrotic, and calcified tissue in the arterial intima, which is described as an…
Introduction Cardiac troponin (cTn) is the biomarker of choice for the evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial ischemia. Increases in cTn are necessary for the diagnosis of…
Introduction Chest symptoms suspicious for acute myocardial infarction (MI) are among the most common reasons for emergency evaluation, accounting for six to seven million emergency department (ED) visits each year…
Evolution of Concepts Regarding Mechanisms of Myocardial Infarction Historical Perspective The scientific study of the mechanisms of myocardial infarction (MI) occurred surprisingly recently. Heberden published his strikingly contemporary description of…
Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the single most important cause of death worldwide in 2013, when it was responsible for 17 million deaths and the loss of 329 million disability-adjusted…
Introduction Until the beginning of 20th century, it was believed that coronary thrombosis was always immediately fatal. In 1910, two Ukrainian physicians described five patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI),…
Introduction Sustained exercise requires tight integration of multiple physiologic systems including the cardiac, neuromuscular, and respiratory systems. Diseases affecting any of these systems can manifest as dyspnea or exercise limitation….
Introduction The mediastinum is the region in the chest between the pleural cavities that contains the heart and other thoracic viscera, except the lungs. Interest in the mediastinum as a…
