Endings and beginnings

Cardiology Review

As I write this introduction to the September issue of , I am at once pleased, excited, and saddened by the issue and what it represents.

Once again, as it has every year for the past decade, the issue focuses on the elderly, those of our fellow citizens who are in “the autumn of their years.” Two of the major concerns in this age group are (1) managing hypertension and (2) managing congestive heart failure. Drs Alan Gradman and Mohamed Morsy address the first issue in their overview article. They are particularly concerned about systolic hypertension, which is a common presentation in the elderly, and the increased pulse pressure that often accompanies it. Both are risk factors for cardiovascular events, yet antihypertensive drug treatment has its limitations, as Dr Samuel Mann notes in his commentary. Congestive heart failure is the subject of Dr Finn Gustafsson’s article. Dr Gustafsson, a respected cardiologist from Denmark, discusses the pitfalls of diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in the elderly. In his accompanying commentary, Dr Michael Rich laments the paucity of comprehensive clinical trials in the “real world” elderly heart failure population.

A final article is concerned with the extent that renal dysfunction influences prognosis after acute myocardial infarction, especially in the older age groups in whom a decreased glomerular filtration rate is common. Dr Francois Schiele and colleagues from France studied 754 patients with acute myocardial infarctions. They concluded that patients with abnormal renal function need more specialized care, fortunately the type of care that is available using current guidelines. Their conclusions are discussed further by Dr William Lawson in his commentary.

So I am very pleased that the journal continues to offer coverage (and CME credits!) in critically important topical areas and among key patient groups. Providing our readers with the latest information and analysis relevant to their practice is a cornerstone of this publication. Our editorial and consultant board plays a major role in providing this analysis, and I am very grateful to the board members for their assistance in putting this publication together each month. Effective with this issue, we’ve made some changes to that board, adding individuals who we believe will enhance the publication’s breadth of coverage and help attract new contributors and interest in the journal. To those board members whose terms have ended, I extend my deepest appreciation for a job well done. Please take note of the changes, and join me in welcoming the new board members for Cardiology Review.