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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Res. 496 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 496
Designating September 2023 as "National Cholesterol Education Month" and September 30, 2023, as LDL-C Awareness Day.
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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 13, 2023
Mrs. Hyde-Smith (for herself, Mr. Peters, and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
February 27, 2024
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
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RESOLUTION
Designating September 2023 as "National Cholesterol Education Month" and September 30, 2023, as LDL-C Awareness Day.
Whereas cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women; Whereas projected rates of cardiovascular disease are expected to increase significantly in the United States by 2060; Whereas, compared to urban areas, rural areas in the United States have higher death rates for cardiovascular disease and stroke, and a 40 percent higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease; Whereas risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease and poor health outcomes include elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (referred to in this preamble as "LDL-C"), high levels of lipoprotein(a) cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, low awareness of personal risk factors, genetics, geographic location, and inequitable access to care; Whereas lipoprotein(a) cholesterol is predominantly genetically inherited and can build up in the walls of blood vessels creating cholesterol deposits, or plaques, and lead to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; Whereas LDL-C is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and having lower LDL-C is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke; Whereas more than 25.5 percent of adults in the United States have high LDL-C; Whereas more than 200 studies with more than 2,000,000 patients have broadly established that elevated LDL-C unequivocally causes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; Whereas atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the build-up of cholesterol plaque within the walls of arteries and includes acute coronary syndrome, peripheral arterial disease, and events such as heart attacks and strokes; Whereas the resources needed to bend the curve on cardiovascular disease exist, yet 71 percent of hypercholesterolemia patients at high risk of a cardiovascular event never achieve recommended LDL-C treatment guideline thresholds; Whereas only 33 percent of individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who are taking statins, a guideline recommended lipid lowering therapy, actually achieve LDL-C goals; Whereas, although clinical guidelines recommend that a patient hospitalized for heart attack receive an LDL-C test in the 90 days following discharge from a hospital, only 27 percent of patients receive such test; Whereas African-American adults are less likely to receive an LDL-C test in the 90 days following discharge from a hospital, despite having a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease; Whereas significant gaps in care lead to subsequent cardiovascular events; Whereas the Million Hearts program seeks to improve access to and quality of care to reduce heart disease, stroke, and death; and Whereas September is recognized as National Cholesterol Education Month to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and the importance of knowing one's LDL-C number: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) encourages all individuals in the United States to know their low density lipoprotein cholesterol (referred to in this resolution as "LDL-C") number; (2) designates September 2023, as "National Cholesterol Education Month"; (3) designates September 30, 2023, as "LDL-C Awareness Day"; and (4) recognizes the urgent need for screening and treating of elevated LDL-C to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.