[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 125 (Wednesday, August 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          NATIONAL PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 221, and 
that then the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 221) supporting National Peripheral 
     Arterial Disease Awareness Month and efforts to educate 
     people about peripheral arterial disease.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table en bloc; that any statements be printed in the 
Record, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res 221) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 221

       Whereas peripheral arterial disease is a vascular disease 
     that occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the 
     limbs;
       Whereas peripheral arterial disease is a significant 
     vascular disease that can be as serious as a heart attack or 
     stroke;
       Whereas peripheral arterial disease affects approximately 
     8,000,000 to 12,000,000 Americans;
       Whereas 1 in 5 patients with peripheral arterial disease 
     will experience cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, 
     or hospitalization within 1 year;
       Whereas the survival rate for individuals with peripheral 
     arterial disease is worse than the outcome for many common 
     cancers;
       Whereas peripheral arterial disease is a leading cause of 
     lower limb amputation in the United States;
       Whereas many patients with peripheral arterial disease have 
     walking impairment that leads to a diminished quality of life 
     and functional capacity;
       Whereas a majority of patients with peripheral arterial 
     disease are asymptomatic and less than half of individuals 
     with peripheral arterial disease are aware of their 
     diagnoses;
       Whereas African-American ethnicity is a strong and 
     independent risk factor for peripheral arterial disease, and 
     yet this fact is not well known to those at risk;
       Whereas effective treatments are available for people with 
     peripheral arterial disease to reduce heart attacks, strokes, 
     and amputations and to improve quality of life;
       Whereas many patients with peripheral arterial disease are 
     still untreated with proven therapies;
       Whereas there is a need for comprehensive educational 
     efforts designed to increase awareness of peripheral arterial 
     disease among medical professionals and the greater public in 
     order to promote early detection and proper treatment of this 
     disease to improve quality of life, prevent heart attacks and 
     strokes, and save lives and limbs; and
       Whereas September 2007 is an appropriate month to observe 
     National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Month: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness 
     Month and efforts to educate people about peripheral arterial 
     disease;
       (2) acknowledges the critical importance of peripheral 
     arterial disease awareness to improve national cardiovascular 
     health;
       (3) supports raising awareness of the consequences of 
     undiagnosed and untreated peripheral arterial disease and the 
     need to seek appropriate care as a serious public health 
     issue; and
       (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the month with appropriate programs and activities.

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