| R 114 |
| 2024 -- H 7806 Enacted 02/29/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| DESIGNATING FEBRUARY OF 2024 AS "AMERICAN HEART MONTH" TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING ONE'S CHOLESTEROL |
Introduced By: Representatives Felix, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Quattrocchi, Rea, Newberry, Place, Fenton-Fung, and Alzate |
| Date Introduced: February 29, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, The American Heart Association defines cholesterol as a waxy, fat-like |
| substance circulating in the blood; and |
| WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies two types |
| of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein |
| cholesterol (HDL-C); and |
| WHEREAS, According to the CDC, nearly 94 million adults in the United States have |
| high cholesterol; and |
| WHEREAS, Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Rhode Island, accounting for |
| more than 2,300 deaths in 2017; and |
| WHEREAS, Inherited risks of heart disease include familial hypercholesterolemia, or |
| FH, and elevated Lp(a) which can be detected and treated early; and |
| WHEREAS, FH is a common, life-threatening genetic disorder affecting the body's |
| ability to remove LDL cholesterol and if left untreated, leads to early heart attack and heart |
| disease; and |
| WHEREAS, Patients with FH or elevated cholesterol levels may need treatment |
| including statins and lipid-lowering medications; and |
| WHEREAS, In Rhode Island the heart disease death rate for Black Rhode Islanders, age |
| 35+, is 248 per 100,000 compared to 304 per 100,000 overall; and |
| WHEREAS, February is designated as American Heart Month by the National Institutes |
| of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to raise awareness of heart disease, |
| cholesterol and the importance of screening and treatment; and |
| WHEREAS, The LDL-Action Summit, a consortium of the nation's leading |
| cardiovascular stakeholder groups, seeks to cut cardiovascular events in half by 2030; and |
| WHEREAS, The CDC's Million Hearts program is a national initiative to prevent one |
| million heart attacks and strokes between 2022 and 2027; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| designates February of 2024 as "American Heart Month" in order to raise public awareness of |
| heart disease, and cholesterol-related illnesses including Familial Hypercholesterolemia and |
| LP(a); and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this House hereby supports raising awareness of heart disease, |
| cholesterol, and lipid-lowering treatments to improve the health of Rhode Island residents; and be |
| it further |
| RESOLVED, That this House hereby respectfully requests that the Rhode Island State |
| Department of Health dedicates resources to addressing cardiovascular disease and improved |
| cholesterol screenings for Rhode Island residents; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island State |
| Department of Health, and the American Heart Association – Rhode Island. |
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| LC005593 |
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