Ronald Witteles

Clinical Focus

• Cardiovascular Disease

Administrative Appointments

• Associate Director, Coronary Care Unit (CCU) , (2008– present )
• Co-Director, Stanford Amyloid Center , (2008– present )

Honors and Awards

• First Author - Selected as one of 15 most important heart failure articles in 2007, Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2008)
• Clinical Research Award, Stanford Univ. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (2007)
• Timothy F. Beckett, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Medicine Fellow, Stanford Univ. Dept. of Internal Medicine (2006)
• Clinical Excellence Award, Stanford University Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (2006)
• National Research Fellowship Award, Heart Failure Society of America (2006)
• First Author - Selected as one of 10 most important heart failure articles in 2004, Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2005)
• National Associates' Research Award, American College of Physicians/American Society of Internal Medicine (2004)
• Charles Dorsey Armstrong Clinical Excellence Award, Stanford University Dept. of Internal Medicine (2003)
• Outstanding Clinical Teaching Award, Stanford University Dept. of Internal Medicine (2002, 2003)
• Francis G. Ebaugh, Jr. Research Award, Stanford University Dept. of Internal Medicine (2001, 2002, 2003)
• M.D. with Honors (highest distinction by U. of Chicago), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (2000)
• Calvin Fentress Research Fellowship, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (1999)

Professional Education

• Board Certification: Cardiovascular Disease, American Board of Internal Medicine (2007)
• Board Certification: Nuclear Cardiology, Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology (2006)
• Stanford University School of Medicine (2007) CA
• Stanford University School of Medicine (2004) CA
• Board Certification: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (2003)
• Stanford University School of Medicine (2003) CA
• Stanford University School of Medicine (2001) CA
• University of Chicago Pritzker (2000) IL
• F.A.C.C., American College of Cardiology Cardiology (2008)
• Chief Fellow, Stanford University Cardiovascular Medicine (2007)
• Fellowship, Stanford University Cardiovascular Medicine (2007)
• Chief Resident, Stanford University Internal Medicine (2004)
• Residency, Stanford University Internal Medicine (2003)
• M.D. with Honors, University of Chicago Medicine (2000)
• B.A., Northwestern University Biology/Neuroscience (1996)

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Web Site Links

• Stanford Amyloid Center

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. 

• Consulting: Novartis

Research Interests

Dr. Witteles' research is focused in two major areas -- studying the physiology/mechanisms underyling heart failure, and clinical trials of novel heart failure therapies.

Studies of physiology/mechanisms include:
1) Relationship of insulin resistance and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Myocardial glucose metabolism is assessed with PET imaging before/after pharmacologic interventions.

2) Cardiac resynchronization: Exploration of optimal programming methods for timing intervals with biventricular pacing devices using echocardiography and thoracic impedance measurements.

Clinical trials/studies include:

1) Cancer-therapy related cardiotoxicity: Clinical trials to test novel screening and intervention methods to prevent cancer-therapy associated cardiotoxicity from multiple agents (anthracyclines, trastuzumab, tyrosine kinase inhibitors)

2) Cardiorenal syndrome: A large completed double-blind, randomized clinical trial evaluated the role of nesiritide in treating cardiorenal syndrome. Current ongoing trials include studies of a novel natriuretic-peptide (outpatient study) and an adenosine antagonist (inpatient study).

3) Amyloidosis: Clinical trial of novel therapies for amyloidosis

Clinical Trials

• B-Receptor Signaling in Cardiomyopathy Recruiting
• Study of the Effect of Sitagliptin on Glucose (Sugar) Metabolism in Patients with Heart Failure Recruiting

Publications

• Insulin-resistant cardiomyopathy clinical evidence, mechanisms, and treatment options. Witteles RM,  Fowler MB.  J Am Coll Cardiol.  2008; 51 (2): 93-102
• Clinical problem-solving. Fool's Gold. Leeper NJ,  Dhaliwal G, Saint S, Witteles RM.  N Engl J Med.  2008; 359 (19): 2035-41
• Impact of nesiritide on renal function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure and pre-existing renal dysfunction a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Witteles RM,  Kao D, Christopherson D, Matsuda K, Vagelos RH, Schreiber D, Fowler MB.  J Am Coll Cardiol.  2007; 50 (19): 1835-40
• Cardiomyopathy of insulin resistance. Witteles RM,  Fowler MB.  Heart Fail Clin.  2006; 2 (1): 13-23
• Insulin resistance in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: a possible etiologic link. Witteles RM,  Tang WH, Jamali AH, Chu JW, Reaven GM, Fowler MB.  J Am Coll Cardiol.  2004; 44 (1): 78-81
• Nesiritide, heart failure, and renal dysfunction: irrational exuberance or throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Editorial to: "Impact of nesiritide on renal function and mortality in patients suffering from heart failure" by Dontas et al. Witteles RM,  Cardiovasc Drugs Ther.  2009; 23 (3): 183-6
• Trastuzumab cardiotoxicity: Clinical management of asymptomatic declines in left ventricular function Telli ML,  Witteles RM, Hunt SA, Carlson RW, Guardino AE.  The American Journal of Hematology/Oncology.  2008; 7 (1): 38-41
• Cardiotoxicity associated with the cancer therapeutic agent sunitinib malate. Telli ML,  Witteles RM, Fisher GA, Srinivas S.  Ann Oncol.  2008; 19 (9): 1613-8
• Reversible high-output cardiac failure, an unusual marker of disease status in multiple myeloma Kohrt H,  Logan A, Temmins C, Witteles R, Liedtke M, Medeiros B.  Leukemia and Lymphoma.  2008; 49 581-585
• Reversibility of trastuzumab cardiotoxicity: Is the concept alive and well? Telli ML,  Carlson RW, Guardino AE, Hunt SA, Witteles RM..  Journal of Clinical Oncology.  2007; 25 (34): 5533-5534
• Premature ventricular contractions causing pacemaker-mediated tachycardia: A failure of postventricular atrial refractory period after premature ventricular contraction extension? Witteles R,  Engel G, Wang PJ, Al-Ahmad A.  Heart Rhythm.  2005; 2 (12): 1389-1390
• B-type natriuretic peptide is effective therapy before cardiac transplantation Witteles R,  Matsuda K, Fowler MB.  Annals of Internal Medicine.  2004; 141 (11): 895
• Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas Buell J,  Witteles RM, Koka MLR, Sugg SL, Kaplan EL.  The Practice of General Surgery.  2002; 1083-1093
• Parathyroid carcinoma Witteles RM,  Straus FH, Koka MLR, Kaplan EL.  Surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.  2002; 46.1-46.13
• Episodic hypertension associated with sitting on hard surfaces Witteles RM,  Journal of General Internal Medicine.  2001; 16 70
• Adult-onset nesidioblastosis causing hypoglycemia: An important clinical entity and continuing treatment dilemma Witteles RM,  Straus II FH, Sugg SL, Koka MR, Costa EA, Kaplan EL.  Archives of Surgery.  2001; 136 (6): 656-663
• A new provocative test for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma? Witteles R,  Roizen MF.  American Journal of Anesthesiology.  2001; 28 446-447
• Safe and cost-effective preoperative preparation of patients with pheochromocytoma Witteles RM,  Kaplan EL, Roizen MF.  Anesthesia and Analgesia.  2000; 91 (2): 302-304
• Sensitivity of diagnostic and localization tests for pheochromocytoma in clinical practice Witteles RM,  Kaplan EL, Roizen MF.  Archives of Internal Medicine.  2000; 160 (16): 2521-2524