Bleeding-edge technology in cardiology - or the mixed blessings of phlebotomy throughout the ages.

Bloodletting in medicine is as old as mankind. Its survival in modern times and against all odds closely resembles an evolutionary pathway that involves step by step progress, with payoffs and experience gained at each step to refine and improve its use. In order to continue to function in a changing environment and time, diverse applicability is a prerequisite. It is argued that bloodletting is embedded in our common subconscious memory and therefore we should not be surprised that its practice will pop up from time to time to remind us of the very roots of human medical thinking. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:218-22.).