PRINTER'S NO. 1509
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
144
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY VENKAT, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, PROBST, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS, HANBIDGE, KHAN, SCOTT, HADDOCK,
MALAGARI AND D. WILLIAMS, JUNE 9, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 9, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2023 as "Cholesterol
Education Month" and September 1, 2023, as "LDL-C Awareness
Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, High cholesterol, also called hypercholesterolemia,
is the chronic presence of high levels of cholesterol in the
blood that can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and
cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes; and
WHEREAS, CVD is arguably the most underappreciated public
health crisis of our time, as someone in the United States has a
heart attack every 40 seconds, but approximately 80% of these
heart attacks are preventable; and
WHEREAS, Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or "bad
cholesterol," is an easily modifiable risk factor for CVD; and
WHEREAS, Lower LDL-C is associated with a reduced risk of
heart attack and stroke; and
WHEREAS, More than 80 million adults have high LDL-C,
including nearly 35% of adults in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 7.9% of adults in this Commonwealth
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were diagnosed with CVD in 2021; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 36.6% of adults in this Commonwealth
have been diagnosed with elevated cholesterol levels; and
WHEREAS, The resources needed to bend the curve in CVD exist,
yet approximately 71% of hypercholesterolemia patients at high
risk of a cardiovascular event never achieve recommended LDL-C
treatment guideline thresholds; and
WHEREAS, CVD disproportionately affects minoritized
populations, with approximately 52.3% of Hispanic males and
42.7% of Hispanic females 20 years of age and older having CVD;
and
WHEREAS, Approximately 60.1% of Black males and 58.8% of
Black females 20 years of age and older have CVD; and
WHEREAS, The LDL-C Action Summit, a consortium of the
nation's leading cardiovascular stakeholder groups, seeks to cut
cardiovascular events in half by 2030; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
Million Hearts program seeks to improve access 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 CVD and the importance of
knowing one's LDL-C number; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Health should broadly disseminate
information and educate Pennsylvanians about its cardiovascular
plan to accelerate quality improvements and measures to achieve
improved health outcomes for CVD patients; and
WHEREAS, All Pennsylvanians should be encouraged to know
their LDL-C number; and
WHEREAS, Providers should treat all CVD patients in
accordance with American College of Cardiology treatment
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guidelines; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2023 as "Cholesterol Education Month" and
September 1, 2023, as "LDL-C Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.
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