2022 -- H 8109

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LC005756

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

SUPPORTING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CARE OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

     Introduced By: Representatives Williams, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Vella-
Wilkinson, Alzate, Henries, Perez, Cassar, and Knight

     Date Introduced: April 07, 2022

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States,

surpassing all types of cancer, unintentional injury, and stroke; and

     WHEREAS, In the United States, approximately 21 million patients have been diagnosed

with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and are at risk of a cardiovascular event;

and

     WHEREAS, It is projected that by 2035, 45 percent of the United States population will

have cardiovascular disease; and

     WHEREAS, ASCVD is linked to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, and the risk

of associated events can be modified by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C);

and

     WHEREAS, In 2016, nearly 70 million United States adults had higher than

recommended LDL-C levels; and

     WHEREAS, In the United States, 43.1 million people are currently treated with lipid-

lowering therapies to manage cardiovascular risk; and

     WHEREAS, Only 20 percent of people with ASCVD who are taking statins, one of the

leading lipid-lowering therapies, actually achieve healthy levels of LDL-C; and

     WHEREAS, The total direct and indirect cost of ASCVD in the US was $555 billion in

2016, and is projected to climb to $1.1 trillion by 2035; and

     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, 67,600 adults have been told by a health professional that

they had angina, a stroke, a heart attack, or coronary heart disease, which are some of the

manifestations of ASCVD; and

     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, 1,584 people had ASCVD as an underlying cause of death;

and

     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, 32,700 adults reported experiencing a heart attack in their

lifetime and 21,900 adults reported experiencing a stroke in their lifetime; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island spends an estimated $401.3 million dollars on direct medical

expenses for ASCVD care each year; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

urges state agencies to expand cholesterol screening and other forms of cardiovascular screening

to improve the care quality of people suffering from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; and

be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives hereby advocates for the update of the

state's cardiovascular plan to accelerate quality improvements in the care rendered to these

patients such that screening, treatment, monitoring, and improved health outcomes are achieved;

and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives hereby supports the creation of policies

to decrease the rising number of death of Americans as a result of ASCVD; and be it further

      RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Director James McDonald, MD, MPH, RI

Department of Health.

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LC005756

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