ABSTRACT
Alvin P. Shapiro first became interested in the history of presidential illness and death because of Franklin D. Roosevelt, not just because he had grown up during his childhood and early adulthood knowing no other President, but also because he was interested in hypertension, he was intrigued by the fact that he was a severe hypertensive and this disease led directly to his demise. Howard Bruenn, who was Roosevelt's physician during World War II. Bruenn was a young cardiologist in the Navy assigned to the Bethesda Naval Hospital; he was on call one weekend when Admiral McIntyre, who was Roosevelt's primary physician, was not available, and was called to the White House to see Roosevelt. Roosevelt was so pleased with his ministrations that Bruenn then was assigned permanently to Roosevelt's care and accompanied him on all his trips and saw him regularly throughout the rest of his life.
