Innovations in twenty-first century cardiovascular medicine

Emerging technologies are revolutionizing therapies for patients with end-stage heart disease. While these technologies improve the quality of life for our patients, continued efforts are needed to develop curative and preventive therapies for this pervasive disease. A frequently cited quote from C. Walton Lillehei, MD, provides hope for our future, What mankind can dream, research and technology can achieve. Heart disease is both common and deadly. Today, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide (Circulation 121:e46-215, 2010). Estimates suggest that the US economy will direct approximately $475 billion to treating heart disease and that these expenses are predicted to continue to grow at a seismic pace (Circulation 119:480-6, 2009). Our families, neighbors, coworkers, and communities are profoundly impacted by this disease, as one US citizen dies from cardiovascular disease every 30 s. The only way to profoundly alter the course of this disease is through innovation and the development of new therapies.