Richard Gorlin

Richard Gorlin (June 30, 1926 – October 16, 1997) was an American cardiologist known for his contributions to the fields of valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease and cardiac catheterization, digitalis and vasodilators in congestive heart failure, and thrombolysis in myocardial infarctions. Along with his father, developed the Gorlin formula used to calculate valve areas in aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve stenosis.

Early life and education Gorlin was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 30, 1926, to Sol and Henrietta Gorlin. His father was a mechanical engineer who at the turn of the century is variously reported to have designed hydraulic systems for gasoline engines and worked on building, structural, and real estate projects. Gorlin’s early education was in the Jersey City public school system. Gorlin then entered Harvard College in January 1943 as part of the accelerated wartime program. He spent five semesters at Harvard College and then entered Harvard Medical School in October 1944. He graduated with his Bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his MD degree from Harvard Medical School in 1948 at the age of 21. He served a one-year internship and then completed a two-year cardiology fellowship at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. While at the Brigham, he studied cardiology under the direction of Dr. Lewis Dexter.

Contributions to medicine Working with his engineer father, they developed the Gorlin formula, an indirect method for calculating the orifice area of cardiac valves or congenital heart chamber defects. This formula is used to study the severity of aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve stenosis.

Gorlin was a very early pioneer in the use of coronary angiography to evaluate coronary artery disease. He completed studies integrating the clinical findings in coronary artery disease with the anatomy, physiology, and metabolism of the disorder. His findings preceded by ten years the concept of hibernating myocardium. the largest trial to evaluate digoxin in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Jacobi Medal of the Mount Sinai Hospital 1991 Henry Russek Lectureship of the American College of Cardiology 1991 James B. Herrick Award of the American Heart Association’s Council on Clinical Cardiology 1995 J. Lester Gabrilove Award, for Significant Contributions to Medicine 1992

Personal life and death Gorlin's first marriage was to Marjorie Shore in 1960 and they had a daughter, Wendy, and sons Bill and Douglas. His second marriage was to Winifred Leifer in 1970. His third marriage in 1987 was to Florence Zuckerman and they remained married until his death.

Gorlin died at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on October 16, 1997, at 71 years of age due to pancreatic cancer.