40 years. Importance: Impact Recent studies Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years' observation on male British doctors Authors: R. Doll, R. Peto, J. Boreham, I. Sutherland Publication data: BMJ 2004;328:1519–33. Description: This is the British doctors study. A prospective cohort study which ran from 1951 to 2001, and in 1956 provided convincing statistical evidence that tobacco smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. Importance: Impact Randomized trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Authors: The Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Group. Publication data: Lancet 1994;344:1383–1389 Description: The Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (also known under the abbreviation 4S) is a multicenter clinical trial that was performed in the 1990s in Scandinavia. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of a cholesterol-lowering drug called simvastatin on mortality and morbidity in group of 4444 patients with coronary heart disease, aged between 35 and 70 years. The patients presented with moderate hypercholesterolemia between 5.5 and 8.0 mmol/L. The results of the trial showed that simvastatin had a lowering effect on mortality and morbidity of patients with coronary heart disease. Importance: Impact Heart Protection Study Authors: Medical Research Council Online version: Research site Description: The Heart Protection Study is a large randomized controlled trial by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in the United Kingdom. It studies the use of statin (simvastatin 40 mg) medication and vitamin supplementation (vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene) in patients that are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Importance: Impact Publications in medicine by field Cardiology Prophylactic implantation of a defibrillator in patients with myocardial infarction and reduced ejection fraction Authors: Moss AJ, Zareba W, Hall WJ, Klein H, Wilber DJ, Cannom DS, Daubert JP, Higgins SL, Brown MW, Andrews ML; Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial II Investigators. Publication data: N Engl J Med. 2002 Mar 21;346(12):877-83. Epub 2002 Mar 19. (MADIT 2) Description: This study shows that anyone with coronary heart disease and decreased ejection fraction should receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Importance: Impact Endocrinology Pancreatic extracts in the treatment of diabetes mellitus Author: Banting FG, Best CH, Collip JB, Campbell WR, Fletcher AA Publication data: Canadian Medical Association Journal 1922;12:141-146. Online version: Online version Description: Banting and Best proved the existence of the hypothetical pancreatic substance termed "insulin" by Sharpey-Schafer. Importance: Topic creator, Breakthrough, Impact Diabetes mellitus: its differentiation into insulin-sensitive and insulin-insensitive types. Author: Himsworth HP