Understanding mechanisms of aortic pathology to improve care

Aortic disease, including aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection, is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and death. There have been exciting developments in caring for patients with aortic aneurysm and dissection, including great advances in diagnosis and endovascular therapies. Despite this, there remains significant gaps in knowledge of the understanding of mechanisms of aortic pathology and opportunity to further improve patient care. With this in mind, Vascular Medicine, the official journal of the Society for Vascular Medicine, dedicated its June, 2016 issue to this important topic.

During the month of June, the 2016 Focused Issue of Vascular Medicine, published by SAGE Publishing, on aortic disease is available for free download. The issue attracted submissions from authors across the globe. This collection of manuscripts will update the reader on the latest developments on aortic disease and medical technological advances to treat aortic conditions.

"We are excited to bring this issue to press. Aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection are two potentially lethal conditions for which early diagnosis and optimal vascular care can improve outcomes. The issues includes a number of cutting edge original research and review articles highlighting the latest advances in understanding the mechanism of and treatment for aortic disease, especially aortic aneurysm (thoracic and abdominal) and aortic dissection. I am thankful to our publisher, SAGE, for making the content of this issue available for free download electronically during the month of June. I hope we can disseminate this material as broadly as possible to the vascular and cardiovascular communities.-Editor in Chief, Heather L. Gornik (Vascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic)

Articles will appeal to all healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with aortic disease, including, cardiovascular medical specialists, vascular and cardiac surgeons, interventional and diagnostic radiologists, primary care providers, and cardiovascular nursing professionals.

Dr. Tara Mastracci of Royal Free London ponders an 'aneurysm moonshot' in her opening editorial, while reflecting on the history and future of aortic disease care. Original manuscripts include analysis of the impact of sarcopenia (a marker of frailty) on long-term mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and an introduction to the epiaortic fat pad as a novel index of thoracic aortic size. Review articles include updates on fenestrated aortic endografts and diagnosis and treatment of type B aortic dissections, both complicated and uncomplicated. Finally, the issue concludes with a patient page on aortic dissection which presents a unique opportunity to disseminate vascular knowledge to patients.