Recognizing the rise of cardiovascular disease as the world's leading cause of preventable death and disability and as the global public health crisis of our generation and supporting the recognition of February 2022, as "American Heart Month".

American Heart Month Whereas the World Health Organization estimates that in 2019, 17,900,000 people died from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), representing 32 percent of all global deaths; Whereas of these deaths, 85 percent were due to heart attacks and strokes and over three-quarters of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries; Whereas CVDs result in tremendous health care costs and lost productivity and, if not addressed, the United States alone will spend over $1,000,000,000,000 by 2035 on costs relating to CVD; Whereas educational attainment, household income, residential environment, access to health care, and structural racism contribute significantly to disparities in CVD mortality in the United States; Whereas the global COVID–19 pandemic poses significantly high risk to individuals with CVD and risk factors; Whereas the heavy burden of death and disability from CVDs can be decreased through changes in behavior linked to major risk factors, including reduced tobacco use and salt consumption, increased physical activity and proper nutrition, and improvements in access to medical treatment and services; Whereas heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States with deaths every 36.1 seconds, or 2,396 deaths each day; Whereas 121,500,000 or 47 percent of United States adults have hypertension, a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke; Whereas many women are not aware that CVD is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, taking the lives of over 420,812 women in 2019; Whereas CVD is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, accounting for 1 in 3 pregnancy-related deaths; Whereas African Americans continue to experience the highest mortality rates attributable to CVD and stroke, with over half of all African-American adults with some form of CVD, including 58.8 percent of African-American women and 60.1 percent of African-American men; Whereas essential quality-assured medicines and technologies are critical components to address the global burden of CVDs; and Whereas United States leadership and support has strengthened surveillance, enhanced workforce capacity, and provided valuable technical exchanges in the area of CVD: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports recognition of American Heart Month (2) recognizes and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to fighting CVD by— (A) promoting awareness about the causes, risks, and prevention of CVD; (B) supporting research on CVD, including disparities in CVD morbidity and mortality with respect to race, ethnicity, and other social determinants of health; (C) equitably expanding access to affordable, quality care to reduce long-term disability and mortality; and (D) strengthening the Nation’s public health infrastructure to support prevention, preparedness, and responsiveness to ongoing threats to health; (3) urges the deployment of United States technical expertise on CVDs in support of developing capacities and strengthening health care systems and public health infrastructure of other countries; (4) recognizes and supports efforts to address the long-term implications of the COVID–19 pandemic, including its influence on cardiovascular health and mortality rates; (5) calls on the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to— (A) comprehensively examine the impact of CVDs on health and development in United States priority assistance countries; and (B) develop a coordinated strategy that improves the effectiveness and impact of United States-financed global health programming by integrating CVD into existing programs; (6) commends the efforts of States, territories, and possessions of the United States, localities, nonprofit organizations, businesses and other entities, and the people of the United States who support American Heart Month (7) encourages every individual in the United States to learn about his or her risk for CVD.

Summary: This resolution expresses support for the recognition of American Heart Month to bring awareness to the cardiovascular disease public health crisis in the United States and abroad.