“Sherri Selph was 41 when she was first diagnosed with second-stage congestive heart failure. However, her rapidly diminishing health led to a diagnosis of end-stage heart disease. A heart transplant was not an option. Survival statistics for patients with Sherri’s condition are grim. Even with the best treatment available, only 50 percent of heart failure patients live beyond a year. Her doctor suggested that Sherri enroll in [a] clinical trial….Sherri soon became a patient and a member of the group that received an implantable heart pump. The results were immediate. Four days after receiving her heart pump Sherri was back on her feet. ‘I could not believe it. The pump had given me back my life,’ she said. ‘Without this procedure, I would not have lived to see my youngest grandson who is now two and a half years old.’ …Sherri is now back in South Carolina with her heart pump and her five grand-children�"who prefer that she stay right where she is.” -- Research!America. "Investment in Research Saves Lives and Money". 2005. Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:58:10 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/193 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/193 About 2/3 of reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease is a result of medical interventions. -- Cutler, David M. "Are the Benefits of Medicine Worth What We Pay for It? 15th Annual Herbert Lourie Memorial Lecture on Health Policy". Center for Policy Research Briefs . Vol. 27, Fri, 18 May 2007 14:47:14 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/194 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/194 Increased use of non-acute medications in primary and secondary prevention explains about 1/3 of the total reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality since 1950. -- Cutler, David M. Your Money or Your Life? Strong medicine for America's health care system. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2004. Fri, 18 May 2007 14:47:30 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/195 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/195 Mortality rates in the first 3 months after a heart attack have fallen by about 75%. -- Cutler, David M. "Are the Benefits of Medicine Worth What We Pay for It? 15th Annual Herbert Lourie Memorial Lecture on Health Policy". Center for Policy Research Briefs . Vol. 27, Fri, 18 May 2007 14:47:45 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/196 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/196 Since 1950, reduction in heart disease mortality has added more than 3 1/2 years to the expected lifetimes of both men and women. -- Murphy, Kevin M. and Robert H. Topel. "The Value of Health and Longevity". National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper . Vol. 11405, Fri, 18 May 2007 14:48:04 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/197 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/197 About 70% of the survival improvement in heart attack mortality resulted from changes in technology. -- Cutler, David M. and Mark McClellan. "Is Technological Change in Medicine Worth It?". Health Affairs. Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 11-29. Fri, 18 May 2007 14:48:23 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/198 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/198 Glycoprotein inhibitors have been shown to reduce the risk of death, a second heart attack, or the need for revascularization by 48% to 52% in patients who have suffered a first heart attack. -- MEDTAP International, Inc. The Value of Investment in Health Care: Better care, better lives. Bethesda, MD: MEDTAP. 2004. Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:00:02 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/199 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/199 Primary angioplasty reduces 30-day mortality risk by 34% to 50%. -- MEDTAP International, Inc. The Value of Investment in Health Care: Better care, better lives. Bethesda, MD: MEDTAP. 2004. Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:00:19 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/200 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/200 Statin treatment soon after an acute heart attack reduces the risk of fatal heart disease or a recurrent heart attack by 24%. -- MEDTAP International, Inc. The Value of Investment in Health Care: Better care, better lives. Bethesda, MD: MEDTAP. 2004. Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:00:44 -0500 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/201 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/201 Use of beta blockers to treat high blood pressure in congestive heart failure patients reduced death rates by 35%. -- Winslow, Ron. "GlaxoSmith-Kline s Coreg Benefits Heart Patients in Two Big Studies". The Wall Street Journal. 20-Mar-2001. Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:40:17 -0600 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/202 http://www.silverbook.org/fact/202