Coronary Atherosclerosis: Pathophysiologic Basis for Diagnosis and Management.

Coronary atherosclerosis is a long lasting and continuously evolving disease with multiple clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to stable angina, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), heart failure (HF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development and progression of coronary atherosclerosis. In this review, current knowledge related to the diagnosis and management of coronary atherosclerosis based on pathophysiologic mechanisms will be discussed.

Aortic function: from the research laboratory to the clinic.

For many years, much of the pioneering research on aortic function was carried out by a small group of investigators frequently working away from the clinical environment in the research laboratory. The evaluation of aortic function using aortic pulse wave velocity, aortic distensibility, or other practical indices had yet to reach clinical threshold. It was necessary for the clinicians to take over and to apply these indices to the clinic.