BHF pays tribute to the life and work of Professor Attilio Maseri

The British Heart Foundation has paid tribute to former BHF chair Professor Attilio Maseri who sadly passed away on 3 September, aged 85, in his hometown of Udine in Italy.

Professor Maseri held the prestigious BHF Sir John McMichael Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London from 1979 to 1991.

During his prolific career he advanced our understanding of heart disease. In particular, he pioneered the measurement of coronary blood flow, and led the charge in the understanding and treatment of angina.

Early career

He graduated with a doctorate in medicine in 1960 from the University of Padua and went on to achieve further qualifications in cardiology and nuclear medicine. During this time, he conducted research at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. 

As a young scientist in Pisa, he spearheaded the development of methods using radioactive tracers to image the heart. These images were used to determine how much blood was flowing through the heart and how much energy the heart was using. He recognised that it was problems in the small vessels of the heart that led to heart attacks and angina. 

As a BHF chair

During his tenure as BHF Chair he became an international leader in the treatment of angina. He led the first definitive study showing that organic nitrates cause the small vessels of the heart to widen and relieve angina. This paved the way for today’s widespread and lifesaving use of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) to treat angina. Whilst living in the UK, Professor Maseri was a Queen’s Honorary Physician. 

He returned to Italy to become head of cardiology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome and consultant cardiologist to Pope John Paul II. He also published Ischemic Heart Disease: A Rational Basis for Clinical Practise and Clinical Research, which catalogued his innovative approach to heart disease. His contributions to medicine were recognised in Italy by appointment as Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, and the Pope also appointed him as Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory. 

Professor Maseri received many prestigious international prizes during his career including the Distinguished Scientist Award of the American College of Cardiology, the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, the Gold Medal of the European Society of Cardiology, and the Grand Prix Scientifique de la Foundation Lefoulon-Delalande.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said:
“We were exceptionally proud to have had Professor Maseri as a BHF Chair. He was a gifted clinician scientist who contributed vastly to our understanding of heart disease. The impact of his work can still be felt today around the world. He was and continues to be an inspiration to his students, many of whom went on to become successful cardiovascular researchers and clinicians. He will be sorely missed."