A New Editor—Building on a Tradition of Excellence
It is with great pleasure that I assume the position of Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension. The journal is now in its 6th year of helping physicians by informing them of important trends in caring for patients with pulmonary hyper-tension. For the past 2 years, Vallerie V. McLaughlin, MD, as Editor-in-Chief in 2005 and 2006, has shown me how to orchestrate the journal into a state-of-the art reference for pulmonary hypertension that has become a stunning success, with a circulation that has grown to more than 36,000. From her timely topic selections to her meticulous, watchful eye, Dr McLaughlin has set the stage for the journal’s continued success and has provided us with healthy momentum to this end. An enormous credit goes to the journal’s founding editor, Victor F. Tapson, MD. Dr Tapson’s efforts in launching a journal with critical reviews of the newest areas of diagnosis and treatments for patients with pulmonary hypertension heralded a successful 3-year tenure, a tradition that continues today.
In this, the 21st issue of the journal, Roxana Sulica, MD, has taken the role of lead editor, overseeing three detailed reviews of the associations between hemoglobinopathies and pulmonary hypertension. The complex pathophysiology is evident in the review by Drs Gladwin and Kato. The clinical aspects of sickle-cell-associated pulmonary hypertension are critically examined by Drs Machado and Castro, and a look into the clinical facets of thallasemia-associated pulmonary hypertension is provided by Drs Morris, Vichinsky, and Singer. These reviews remind us of the broad scope of conditions that contribute to a seemingly increasing prevalence of pulmonary vascular diseases that is being recognized throughout the world. Finally, an expert roundtable discusses the similarities and differences between pulmonary hypertension associated with hemoglobinopathies and pulmonary arterial hypertension in its classic definition, clearly calling attention to the need for therapeutic clinical trials.
I hope that you will enjoy this timely issue of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension, the only journal of its kind, and share in the rewards of future issues.