[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   INCREASED BRAIN ANEURYSM AWARENESS

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to discuss an 
important medical condition that, in my opinion, is in need of 
increased attention. Brain aneurysm is defined by the National 
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS, as, ``the 
dilation, bulging, or ballooning-out of part of the wall of an artery 
in the brain.'' Nationwide, there are 27,000 patients who each year 
have a ruptured aneurysm. But an estimated 6 million Americans 
currently live with an unruptured brain aneurysm. In Massachusetts 
alone, more than 1,000 cases of brain aneurysm are treated annually. 
With few symptoms, brain aneurysm is a condition that can strike 
without warning and have a devastating impact on individual lives and 
families in our country and abroad.
  I applaud the efforts of the medical profession, research institutes 
such as the National Inistututes of Health, NIH, and nonprofit 
organizations and groups such as the Brain Aneurysm Foundation who work 
tirelessly to combat brain aneurysm. Such work is critical to 
increasing the medical research and education that will lead to 
breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of this devastating 
condition.
  During the month of September, conferences and meetings are taking 
place across the country to raise brain aneurysm awareness. I want to 
recognize Massachusetts as one of several States which have declared 
the month of September as ``Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month.'' Such 
declarations show that States across the country understand the 
importance of raising awareness of this condition and are taking the 
time to highlight the need for additional education. I support these 
efforts and look forward to Congress working in a similar fashion in 
the near future.

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