[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 873 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 873
Recognizing the impact and importance of improving prevention,
detection, and treatment modalities for African-American women with
cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2020
Mrs. Beatty submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
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RESOLUTION
Recognizing the impact and importance of improving prevention,
detection, and treatment modalities for African-American women with
cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Whereas cardiovascular disease (CVD)--including coronary heart disease, heart
failure, stroke, and high blood pressure--is the leading cause of death
for men and women in the United States;
Whereas African Americans have a three-fold greater risk of developing CVD than
all other Americans;
Whereas according to the American Heart Association, among African-American
women ages 20 and older, nearly half (48.3 percent) already have CVD;
Whereas higher rates of heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, heart failure, and
stroke disproportionately affect African-American women;
Whereas CVD kills nearly 50,000 African-American women annually, but only one in
five African-American women believes she is personally at risk;
Whereas major risk factors for heart disease, including diabetes, smoking,
elevated blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity,
obesity, and a family history of heart disease, all disproportionately
impact Black women;
Whereas research shows that prolonged exposure to stress, as from coping with
racism, may produce higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in
Black women which can lead to higher rates of obesity, thereby
increasing the risk of heart disease and other chronic illness;
Whereas cardiovascular disease poses a significant financial burden in the form
of direct health care costs and lost productivity, costing the United
States approximately $200 billion a year;
Whereas cardiovascular events such as stroke can cause permanent and
debilitating damage with only 10 percent of stroke survivors making a
full recovery;
Whereas 39.5 million women have prediabetes;
Whereas diabetes has been linked to cardiovascular illnesses, and adult
diabetics are more likely to be at risk for heart attacks, strokes, and
high blood pressure;
Whereas diabetes has been linked to cardiovascular illnesses;
Whereas many African-American women with diabetes are unaware that having
diabetes increases their risk for CVD;
Whereas women with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to develop heart disease;
Whereas at least 68 percent of people with diabetes age 65 and older die of some
form of heart disease and 16 percent die from stroke;
Whereas gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a disease characterized by high
blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy, and it raises a mother's
risk of getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life;
Whereas African-American women who develop GDM during pregnancy face a 52
percent increased risk of developing diabetes in the future compared to
White women who develop GDM; and
Whereas cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of pregnancy-related
death in Black women: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of decreasing cardiovascular
disease among all populations, especially among African-
American women;
(2) recognizes the unique factors that impact African
Americans, including racism and stress, which lead to
disproportionately rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes,
and maternal mortality;
(3) promotes the necessity of spreading awareness and
improving education about cardiovascular risk factors and
preventive health and lifestyle choices that contribute to
reduced cardiovascular risk;
(4) recognizes prevention of cardiovascular disease and
related risk factors as the foundation for effective, lifelong
management of cardiovascular health;
(5) supports the education of patients, health care
providers, and policymakers about cardiovascular health;
(6) recognizes the value of investment in cardiovascular
disease therapy research and development;
(7) encourages early and continuous patient access to
innovative, lifesaving cardiovascular disease therapies;
(8) supports the importance of health management strategies
that improve access to cardiovascular testing and preventive
services in all communities;
(9) recognizes the importance of decreasing the prevalence
of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes for all in the United
States;
(10) recognizes the release of the report entitled Black
Women Vote: National Health Policy Agenda 2018-2019, which is a
foundational policy blueprint that offers evidence to both
policymakers and practitioners as to why the health and
wellness of more than 20 million Black women matter in the
United States; and
(11) recognizes that WomenHeart: the National Coalition for
Women with Heart Disease is a patient-centered organization
that supports, educates, and advocates for all women living
with and at high risk of heart disease in order to improve
their health and quality of life and to address inequities in
health care for women.
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