Nearly 81 million U.S. adults suffer from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. That’s one death every 38 seconds. The bright side of these sad statistics is that largely because of American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research, deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke have dropped dramatically by 63 percent and 70 percent respectively in the last 30 years. Unfortunately, the innovations in cardiovascular disease treatment may come to a grinding halt as the 2011 continuing resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives cuts $1.6 billion from the NIH budget. Cardiovascular disease and stroke research compromise just 5 percent of the NIH budget, and the staggering cuts proposed will decimate future innovation in life-saving treatments.  San Diego’s economy will also be gravely impacted, as NIH funding has been significantly awarded in our local biotech community. Statistically, technological improvements in treating heart attacks are worth the costs, for every $1 spent, the return on investment has been $7. The AHA/ASA further estimates that eliminating deaths from heart disease would generate $48 trillion in economic value from increased life expectancy. NIH-supported research remains our best hope to stop America’s No. 1 killer and keep our economy on track.  As a young stroke survivor, I’m grateful for the research that saved my life and allowed me to be a productive member of society. I call on Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein to help the next generation have the same chance.  — Marcy Shugert lives in University City.