III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 243 

Promoting increased awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of atrial fibrillation 

to address the high morbidity and mortality rates and to prevent avoidable hospitalizations associated with the disease. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2011 

Mr. CRAPO (for himself, Mr. CASEY, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. RUBIO, 

and Mr. TOOMEY) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Promoting increased awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of 

atrial fibrillation to address the high morbidity and mortality rates and to prevent avoidable hospitalizations associated with the disease. 

Whereas atrial fibrillation is a cardiac condition that results 

when the usual coordinated electrical activity in the atria 

of the heart becomes disorganized and chaotic, hampering the ability of the atria to fill the ventricles with 

blood, and allowing blood to pool in the atria and form 

clots; 

Whereas an estimated 2,500,000 people in the United States 

are living with atrial fibrillation, the most common ‘‘serious’’ heart rhythm abnormality that occurs in people 

older than 65 years of age; 


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•SRES 243 ATS 

Whereas atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased 

long-term risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality, especially among women; 

Whereas people older than 40 years of age have a 1-in-4 risk 

of developing atrial fibrillation in their lifetime; 

Whereas an estimated 15 percent of strokes are the result of 

untreated atrial fibrillation, a condition that dramatically 

increases the risk of stroke to approximately 5 times 

more than the general population; 

Whereas atrial fibrillation accounts for approximately 

529,000 hospital discharges annually; 

Whereas atrial fibrillation costs an estimated $3,600 per patient for a total cost burden in the United States of 

$15,700,000,000; 

Whereas better patient and health care provider education is 

needed for the timely recognition of atrial fibrillation 

symptoms; 

Whereas an electrocardiogram is an effective and risk-free 

screen for heart rhythm irregularities and can be part of 

a routine preventive exam; 

Whereas there is a dearth of outcome performance measures 

that focus on the management of atrial fibrillation; and 

Whereas evidence-based care guidelines improve patient outcomes and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations for individuals with undiagnosed atrial fibrillation and for patients once atrial fibrillation is detected: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 

2 Secretary of Health and Human Services should work 

3 with leaders in the medical community to explore ways to 


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•SRES 243 ATS 

1 improve medical research, screening and prevention meth2 ods, and surveillance efforts in order to prevent and appro3 priately manage atrial fibrillation, including by— 

4 (1) advancing the development of process and 

5 outcome measures for the management of atrial fi6 brillation by national developers; 

7 (2) facilitating the adoption of evidence-based 

8 guidelines by the medical community to improve pa9 tient outcomes; 

10 (3) advancing atrial fibrillation research and 

11 education by— 

12 (A) encouraging basic science research to 

13 determine the causes and optimal treatments 

14 for atrial fibrillation; 

15 (B) exploring development of screening 

16 tools and protocols to determine the risk of de17 veloping atrial fibrillation; and 

18 (C) enhancing current surveillance and 

19 tracking systems to include atrial fibrillation; 

20 and 

21 (4) improving access to appropriate medical 

22 care for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation by 

23 encouraging education programs that promote col24 laboration among the Federal health agencies and 

25 that increase public and clinician awareness of atrial 


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•SRES 243 ATS 

1 fibrillation, including risk assessment, screening, 

2 treatment, and appropriate clinical management. 

Æ 


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