NBC News' Russert dies at 58

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday. He was 58



WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed, the network said.

He had recently returned from Italy, where his family was celebrating the graduation of Russert’s son, Luke, from Boston College.

No further details were immediately available.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/

HEY AMELIA

WOW it will be a lost

he was on the new this past week talking
about the presidential election

and such a young age to


dgrimm60

I always considered Tim Russert the most objective journalist in the media today. He, in all practical ways, did what is seemingly impossible. That is, reporting the news and interviewing guests without the slightest hint of bias one way or the other.

"Meet The Press" is the longest running TV program ever and Tim Russert hosted it longer than any other host. Whoever takes over the job has incredibly big shoes to fill. This is truly a loss for the news media in this nation. God rest his soul.

I completely agree with you. Tim Russert was was one of a kind, impossible to replace. I'm certainly going to miss watching him Sunday mornings on "Meet the Press." He was a great guy who had the respect of members of both sides of the aisle in congress.

If you get a chance to read his book, "Big Russ and Me" it is a good one. He never forgot where he came from. His dad was a high school dropout that became a garbage man after serving in WW2. Tim Russert believed they needed cultural diversity in the newsroom. Not just women and minorities but people that came from all sorts of economic backgrounds. He wanted ivy league graduates along with those that gratuated state and junior colleges. He was a real American and I believe the finest of his profession. His loss is tragic to all Americans. I plan on recording tomorrow's Meet The Press as I suspect it will be a tribute to him.

Part of my usual Sunday morning routine is to watch & or record Meet the Press. I was a bit miffed at myself last Sunday because I failed to do either. I figured I'd watch Tim Russert on the program tomorrow. Now he's gone. He was a very good tv journalist. I enjoyed watching him. He will be missed.

Kountzer aka D Bishop

He was the only person who explained the whole politics/election process in a way that I could understand it.

One of the best that I've heard in my lifetime. Just his calm voice and spirit would convince you.

A Closer Look: The Death of Tim Russert, Final Tough Questions

Here is an adaptation of an article in the Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2008, by Karen Ravn.

How could the newscaster have died so quickly? And could his death have been prevented? ...We all heard the heart-breaking news and were stunned. According to reports, Russert died from sudden cardiadc arrest--his heart stopped working. This occurred when plaque ruptured in his left anterior descending coronary artery, a major vessel that supplies blood to the heart. Plaque is basically a mound of fat, cholesterol and other substances collected on an artery wall, often under its lining. When plaque ruptures, the body interprets it as an injury, and blood clots arount it.

Clotting around ruptured plaque can spell big trouble, according to Dr. Scott Monrad, director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Monteflore-Einstein Heart Center in New York City. In Russert's case, the clot blocked his artery, cutting off blood to his heart and causing a heart attack--the death of heart muscle tissue. Worse, the event disrupted his heart's electrical impulses, making it lose its rhythm. This occurs in about 15% of all heart attacks. Impulses can become too fast (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation).

The latter happened to Russert. In fibrillation, "there's no coordinated pumping," notes Dr. Marianne Legato, professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University in NYC. "Each cell is on its own, and the heart is in a shimmering, jelly-like state."

What was Russert's condition before his heart attack? He had been diagnosed with asymptomatic coronary artery disease--his doctros knew he had some buildup of plaque in his coronary arteries, but he was not experiencing negative effects. This is not unusual: Of the men who die of coronary artery disease, more than half don't show symptoms. Other times, Legato says, mild symptoms such as shortness of breath or pains in the back, neck or shoulders may be present but get ignored.

Some aqccounts say Russert had diabetes, and the autopsy found an enlarged heart. There's no reason to believe his doctors knew this before.

How can coronary artery disease bne monitored? On April 29, Russert had a stress test with "normal" results, his internist has said. Standard treadmill tests measure heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and the heart's electrical activity during exercise to determine how well the heart pumps blood. These tests can find arteries blocked by plaque, but only if the blockage is severe enough, typically 70% or more. Hence, minor blockages can sometimes be more dangerous than larger ones as they won't be found by such tests or by symptoms, according to Dr. Jignesh Patel, a clinical professor at UCLA.

Other stress tests are available and its unclear which procedure Russert had.

When his heart attack occurred, what treatment did Russert receive? It seems that resuscitation attempts began immediately; paramedics arrived quickly finding Russert not breathing and without a pulse. Three unsuccessful attempts at defibrillation were tried in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. In this procedure, a device called a defibrillator shocks the heart in the hopes of restoring its normal rhythm.

One doctor noted that Russert might have had a chance if he's had an implantable defibrillator, which would have monitored his heart rate and rhythm and shocked his heart immediately if it detected arrhythmia. The devices have a more than 99% success rate. If doctors had been aware that Russert's heart was enlarged, Dr. Paul Wang, chief of cardiac arrhythmia at Stanford University, says, "he might have been a candidate" for one.

Many see Russerts's death as an opportunity to raise public awareness. "He wanted people to know the truth. He wanted to make our country better. And this tragedy could turn into something very powerful, so other families won't have to go through this." --end of adaptation.

Comment: Let us remember the Russert family in our prayers.

Suzanne

More on Tim Russert's Death

Tim Russert was known to have coronary artery disease that was well controlled with medicine and exercise; he had performed well on a stress test in late April according to NBC. What happened?

See the article: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080616/tim-russerts-death-questions-answers

Suzanne