Franklin D. Roosevelt. A silent enemy and the course of history

J. M. Ramírez-Moreno, M. V. Millán-Núñez
Neurosciences and History 2017; 5(4): 128-135

Type of article: REVIEW

AUTHOR

J. M. Ramírez-Moreno¹,²,³, M. V. Millán-Núñez^4
1Department of Biomedical Sciences. Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
²Stroke centre. Department of Neurology. Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Badajoz, Spain.
³Grupo de Investigación Multidisciplinar de Extremadura (GRIMEX). Badajoz, Spain.
⁴Department of Cardiology. Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Badajoz, Spain.

This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of Dr Federico González Dorrego, founding member and first president of the Society of Neurology of Extremadura and Professor of Neurology at the Universidad de Extremadura.
This study was the subject of a lecture at the 39th Zafra Medical and Surgical Conference, under the title “Reflections on cerebrovascular disease. Operation Argonaut.”

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, died of a massive brain haemorrhage on 12 April 1945, at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was thought to have enjoyed excellent health, and there had been no public perception that such a thing was likely to happen.

Development. Scrutiny of the medical data now available reveals the ignorance of some of the president’s physicians, or the fact that his precarious health was knowingly concealed from the public. This review analyses elements of Roosevelt’s cardiovascular and cognitive health from a historical perspective, drawing from the available biographical data and taking the Yalta Conference as a historical reference.

Conclusions. Arterial hypertension is highly prevalent, treatable, and controllable, for which reason it has emerged as a potentially modifiable risk factor for declining cognitive function. Many years after Roosevelt’s death from neurological catastrophe related to hypertension, high blood pressure continues to be the most prevalent cerebrovascular disease risk factor, and the greatest population attributable risk. It is still necessary to develop effective blood pressure monitoring programmes, helping to ensure primary prevention of stroke and cognitive impairment.

KEYWORDS

Arterial hypertension, brain haemorrhage, cognitive impairment, Franklin D. Roosevelt, mortality, pathobiography, stroke

Neurosciences and History 2017; 5(4): 128-135