Factors Affecting the Cost of Airplanes and Use of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Inhibitors

The advent of the concept of learning curves and their effect on outcomes was first described 80 years ago in an article on factors affecting the cost of airplanes.¹ The premise makes sense: people become better at their tasks as the tasks are repeated. Indeed, learning curves are an integral part of clinical medicine. For example, a surgical learning curve is often assessed using measurements such as operative time, blood loss, and conversion to an open operation.² Cardiology trainees advance along learning curves as they master technical skills for numerous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. In addition, a nonprocedural learning curve worth considering is the critical evaluation of cardiovascular drugs used in clinical practice.