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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 148 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 148

  Expressing the sense of the Senate that there is a critical need to 
 increase research, awareness, and education about cerebral cavernous 
                             malformations.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2009

 Mr. Udall of New Mexico submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate that there is a critical need to 
 increase research, awareness, and education about cerebral cavernous 
                             malformations.

Whereas cerebral cavernous malformation (in this resolution referred to as 
        ``CCM''), or cavernous angioma, is a devastating blood vessel disease 
        that has enormous consequences for people affected and their families;
Whereas cavernous angiomas are malformations in the brain that cannot be 
        detected easily, except through very specific medical imaging scans;
Whereas people with CCM are rarely aware that they have the disease, which makes 
        taking blood thinners or aspirin risky;
Whereas, according to the Angioma Alliance, in the general population, 1 in 
        approximately 200 people has CCM;
Whereas, according to the Angioma Alliance, more than \1/2\ of the people with 
        CCM experience symptoms at some point in their lives;
Whereas, according to the Angioma Alliance, there is a hereditary form of CCM, 
        caused by a mutation or deletion on any 1 of 3 genes, that is 
        characterized by multiple cavernous malformations;
Whereas, according to the Angioma Alliance, each child born to parents with the 
        hereditary form of CCM has a 50 percent chance of having CCM;
Whereas, according to the Angioma Alliance, a specific genetic mutation of CCM 
        called the ``common Hispanic mutation'', which has been traced to the 
        original Spanish settlers of the Americas in the 1590's, has now spread 
        across at least 17 generations of families;
Whereas while CCM is more prevalent in certain States, families throughout the 
        United States are at risk;
Whereas a person with CCM could go undiagnosed until sudden death, seizure, or 
        stroke;
Whereas there is a shortage of physicians who are familiar with CCM, making it 
        difficult for people with CCM to receive timely diagnosis and 
        appropriate care;
Whereas the shortage of such physicians has a disproportionate impact on 
        thousands of Hispanics across the United States;
Whereas CCM has not been studied sufficiently by the National Institutes of 
        Health and others;
Whereas there is a need to expeditiously initiate pilot studies to research the 
        use of medications to treat CCM; and
Whereas medications that treat CCM will enable preventive treatment that reduces 
        the risk of hemorrhage in those who have been diagnosed, thereby saving 
        lives and dramatically reducing healthcare costs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that there is a 
critical need to increase research, awareness, and education about 
cerebral cavernous malformations.
                                 <all>
```