118 HRES 728 IH: Expressing support for the designation of September 2023 as “Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month”. U.S. House of Representatives 2023-09-26 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV118th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 728IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSeptember 26, 2023Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Grijalva, and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and AccountabilityRESOLUTIONExpressing support for the designation of September 2023 as Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month.

Whereas peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects nearly 20,000,000 Americans, including an estimated 200,000 Americans who are from disproportionately minority communities;Whereas PAD is a chronic condition that causes narrowing or blockage of blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs;Whereas the primary cause of PAD is the buildup of plaque in the arteries or atherosclerosis;Whereas many risk factors for PAD include smoking, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, carotid artery disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and being 60 years of age or older;Whereas individuals with type 2 diabetes and PAD are 4 times more likely to lose a limb compared to individuals without either such disease;Whereas individuals who smoke are 3 times more likely to develop PAD; Whereas researchers analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004) found that 5.9 percent of the United States population aged 40 years or older have a low ankle brachial index (ABI) (≤0.9), which indicates the presence of PAD;Whereas African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with PAD and up to 3 times as likely to have an amputation;Whereas if not properly diagnosed, PAD can lead to nontraumatic lower limb amputations, heart attack, or stroke;Whereas unnecessary amputations drastically reduce the quality of life for PAD patients;Whereas PAD generally has a poor prognosis, with an increased risk of mortality, and about 50 and 70 percent of patients die at 2 and 4 years, respectively, with critical limb ischemia; andWhereas educating people on the risks of PAD and encouraging early screenings are crucial to preventing unnecessary amputations: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives—(1)supports the goals and ideals of Peripheral Artery Disease Awareness Month; and(2)encourages the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate awareness and educational activities.