III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 324 

Designating November 9, 2017, as ‘‘National Diabetes Heart Health 

Awareness Day’’, coinciding with American Diabetes Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 8, 2017 

Mr. NELSON (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 9, 2017, as ‘‘National Diabetes Heart 

Health Awareness Day’’, coinciding with American Diabetes Month. 

Whereas 30,300,000 people in the United States, or 9.4 percent of the population, have diabetes, including an estimated 7,200,000 people who are undiagnosed and an additional 84,100,000 people who have prediabetes; 

Whereas adults with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to 

die from heart disease than adults without diabetes; 

Whereas at least 68 percent of people who are 65 or older 

and who have diabetes die from some form of heart disease; 

Whereas, among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are common, with cardioVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:43 Nov 09, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR324.ATS SR324

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•SRES 324 ATS 

vascular disease affecting 31 percent of beneficiaries and 

diabetes affecting 28 percent of beneficiaries; 

Whereas the American Heart Association considers diabetes 

to be 1 of the 7 major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease; 

Whereas minority populations are disproportionately affected 

by both cardiovascular disease and diabetes; 

Whereas findings from a recent study reveal that 52 percent 

of adults living with type 2 diabetes are unaware they are 

at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and complications from cardiovascular disease; 

Whereas 2 out of 3 deaths in people with type 2 diabetes are 

attributed to cardiovascular disease; 

Whereas obesity, poor diet, and lack of physical activity are 

all major risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; 

Whereas 1,250,000 people in the United States have type 1 

diabetes and the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing 

by more than an average of 2 percent each year; 

Whereas cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality 

for people with type 1 diabetes; 

Whereas, according to the American Diabetes Association, diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes cost the United States 

$322,000,000,000 in 2012; 

Whereas cardiovascular disease accounts for 26 percent of 

the hospital inpatient costs of treating people with diabetes; 

Whereas most of the costs of diabetes, 62 percent, is provided 

by government insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, 

and the military; 


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•SRES 324 ATS 

Whereas appropriate awareness and education about the cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes can effectively 

reduce the health and financial burden of illness; and 

Whereas the designation of November 9, 2017, as ‘‘National 

Diabetes Heart Health Awareness Day’’ and coinciding 

with American Diabetes Month, will raise public awareness about the specific risks of heart disease for people 

with diabetes and help to ensure people at risk receive a 

timely diagnosis and proper treatment: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates November 9, 2017, as ‘‘National 

3 Diabetes Heart Health Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) supports the efforts of the Secretary of 

5 Health and Human Services, as well as the entire 

6 medical community, to educate people about the 

7 risks, symptoms, and treatment of diabetes to in8 clude comorbid cardiovascular diseases and risk fac9 tors; 

10 (3) encourages the greater coordination of fed11 erally funded efforts that address diabetes or cardio12 vascular disease independently to incorporate the 

13 common comorbidity of diabetes and cardiovascular 

14 disease, including education and actions that address 

15 both; and 


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•SRES 324 ATS 

1 (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

2 the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the 

3 Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

Æ 


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