Byron Dorgan: “I lost a beautiful young daughter to heart surgery, and I think of her every day. I have dedicated a lot of my time and…”

“I lost a beautiful young daughter to heart surgery, and I think of her every day. I have dedicated a lot of my time and interest in working with the American Heart Association and many others to find the resources to continue to invest in the research and unlock the mysteries of this terrible disease. It is estimated that about 80 million American adults--1 in 3 males and females--suffer from heart disease. It is estimated that an American dies from cardiovascular disease every 35 seconds in this country. The medical expenses attributable to heart disease in this country are about $430 billion a year, including lost productivity. But the good news is that this is one of those diseases where we have made substantial progress. In the past 50 years, the fight against heart disease and stroke has been pretty remarkable.”