The aorta has previously been viewed as a simple conduit connecting the heart to blood vessels and other structures of the body. This thorough text provides compelling evidence that the aorta is a dynamic, differentiated and highly interacting organ. Functional Abnormalities of the Aorta brings together a cross-section of respected investigators whose contributions provide the background, bases, and rationale for the assessment of aortic function in health and disease. Evaluation of aorta function will become a new standard in the clinical assessmnt of cardiovascular function and an important clinical method for