Title: Recognizing the impact and importance of improving prevention, detection, and treatment modalities for African-American women with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the importance of decreasing cardiovascular disease and other conditions for all populations and especially for African American women. It also recognizes unique factors, such as racism and stress, that impact certain health outcomes for African Americans, acknowledges prevention as the foundation for cardiovascular health, and promotes access to and investment in cardiovascular disease therapies.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 873 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 873

    Recognizing the impact and importance of improving prevention, 
  detection, and treatment modalities for African-American women with 
                  cardiovascular disease and diabetes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2020

 Mrs. Beatty submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the impact and importance of improving prevention, 
  detection, and treatment modalities for African-American women with 
                  cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Whereas cardiovascular disease (CVD)--including coronary heart disease, heart 
        failure, stroke, and high blood pressure--is the leading cause of death 
        for men and women in the United States;
Whereas African Americans have a three-fold greater risk of developing CVD than 
        all other Americans;
Whereas according to the American Heart Association, among African-American 
        women ages 20 and older, nearly half (48.3 percent) already have CVD;
Whereas higher rates of heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, heart failure, and 
        stroke disproportionately affect African-American women;
Whereas CVD kills nearly 50,000 African-American women annually, but only one in 
        five African-American women believes she is personally at risk;
Whereas major risk factors for heart disease, including diabetes, smoking, 
        elevated blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, 
        obesity, and a family history of heart disease, all disproportionately 
        impact Black women;
Whereas research shows that prolonged exposure to stress, as from coping with 
        racism, may produce higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in 
        Black women which can lead to higher rates of obesity, thereby 
        increasing the risk of heart disease and other chronic illness;
Whereas cardiovascular disease poses a significant financial burden in the form 
        of direct health care costs and lost productivity, costing the United 
        States approximately $200 billion a year;
Whereas cardiovascular events such as stroke can cause permanent and 
        debilitating damage with only 10 percent of stroke survivors making a 
        full recovery;
Whereas 39.5 million women have prediabetes;
Whereas diabetes has been linked to cardiovascular illnesses, and adult 
        diabetics are more likely to be at risk for heart attacks, strokes, and 
        high blood pressure;
Whereas diabetes has been linked to cardiovascular illnesses;
Whereas many African-American women with diabetes are unaware that having 
        diabetes increases their risk for CVD;
Whereas women with diabetes are 40 percent more likely to develop heart disease;
Whereas at least 68 percent of people with diabetes age 65 and older die of some 
        form of heart disease and 16 percent die from stroke;
Whereas gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a disease characterized by high 
        blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy, and it raises a mother's 
        risk of getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life;
Whereas African-American women who develop GDM during pregnancy face a 52 
        percent increased risk of developing diabetes in the future compared to 
        White women who develop GDM; and
Whereas cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of pregnancy-related 
        death in Black women: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of decreasing cardiovascular 
        disease among all populations, especially among African-
        American women;
            (2) recognizes the unique factors that impact African 
        Americans, including racism and stress, which lead to 
        disproportionately rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, 
        and maternal mortality;
            (3) promotes the necessity of spreading awareness and 
        improving education about cardiovascular risk factors and 
        preventive health and lifestyle choices that contribute to 
        reduced cardiovascular risk;
            (4) recognizes prevention of cardiovascular disease and 
        related risk factors as the foundation for effective, lifelong 
        management of cardiovascular health;
            (5) supports the education of patients, health care 
        providers, and policymakers about cardiovascular health;
            (6) recognizes the value of investment in cardiovascular 
        disease therapy research and development;
            (7) encourages early and continuous patient access to 
        innovative, lifesaving cardiovascular disease therapies;
            (8) supports the importance of health management strategies 
        that improve access to cardiovascular testing and preventive 
        services in all communities;
            (9) recognizes the importance of decreasing the prevalence 
        of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes for all in the United 
        States;
            (10) recognizes the release of the report entitled Black 
        Women Vote: National Health Policy Agenda 2018-2019, which is a 
        foundational policy blueprint that offers evidence to both 
        policymakers and practitioners as to why the health and 
        wellness of more than 20 million Black women matter in the 
        United States; and
            (11) recognizes that WomenHeart: the National Coalition for 
        Women with Heart Disease is a patient-centered organization 
        that supports, educates, and advocates for all women living 
        with and at high risk of heart disease in order to improve 
        their health and quality of life and to address inequities in 
        health care for women.
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