[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res.
592, and 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 assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 592) designating the week of
September 13-19, 2010, as ``Polycystic Kidney Disease
Awareness Week,'' and supporting the goals and ideals of
Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week to raise awareness
and understanding of polycystic kidney disease and the impact
the disease has on patients now and for future generations
until it can be cured.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or
debate, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed
in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 592) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 592
Whereas polycystic kidney disease (known as ``PKD'') is one
of the most prevalent life-threatening genetic diseases in
the world, affecting an estimated 600,000 people in the
United States, including newborn babies, children, and
adults, regardless of sex, age, race, geography, income, or
ethnicity;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease comes in 2 forms,
autosomal dominant, which affects 1 in 500 people worldwide,
and autosomal recessive, a rare form that affects 1 in 20,000
live births and frequently leads to early death;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease causes multiple cysts to
form on both kidneys, leading to an increase in kidney size
and weight;
Whereas the cysts caused by polycystic kidney disease can
be as small as the head of a pin or as large as a grapefruit;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease is a systemic disease
that damages the kidneys and the cardiovascular, endocrine,
hepatic, and gastrointestinal systems;
Whereas patients with polycystic kidney disease often
experience no symptoms during the early stages of the
disease, and many patients do not realize they have PKD until
the disease affects other organs;
Whereas the symptoms of polycystic kidney disease can
include high blood pressure, chronic pain in the back, sides
or abdomen, blood in the urine, urinary tract infections,
heart disease, and kidney stones;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease is the leading genetic
cause of kidney failure in the United States;
Whereas more than half of patients suffering from
polycystic kidney disease will reach kidney failure,
requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive, thus
placing an extra strain on dialysis and kidney
transplantation resources;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease has no treatment or cure;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease instills in patients the
fear of an unknown future with a life-threatening genetic
disease, and of possible genetic discrimination;
Whereas polycystic kidney disease is an example of how
collaboration, technological innovation, scientific momentum,
and public-private partnerships can--
(1) generate therapeutic interventions that directly
benefit the people suffering from polycystic kidney disease;
(2) save billions of Federal dollars paid by Medicare,
Medicaid, and other programs for dialysis, kidney
transplants, immunosuppressant drugs, and related therapies;
and
(3) open several thousand spots on the kidney transplant
waiting list;
Whereas improvements in diagnostic technology and the
expansion of scientific knowledge about polycystic kidney
disease have led to--
(1) the discovery of the 3 primary genes that cause
polycystic kidney disease and the 3 primary protein products
of the genes; and
(2) the understanding of cell structures and signaling
pathways that cause cyst growth, which has produced multiple
polycystic kidney disease clinical drug trials; and
Whereas thousands of volunteers throughout the United
States are dedicated to expanding essential research,
fostering public awareness and understanding, educating
patients and their families about polycystic kidney disease
to improve treatment and care, providing appropriate moral
support, and encouraging people to become organ donors: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the week of September 13-19, 2010, as
``Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week'';
(2) supports the goals and ideals of a national week to
raise public awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney
disease;
(3) recognizes the need for additional research into a
treatment and a cure for polycystic kidney disease; and
(4) encourages the people of the United States and
interested groups to--
(A) support Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week
through appropriate ceremonies and activities;
(B) promote public awareness of polycystic kidney disease;
and
(C) foster understanding of the impact of the disease on
patients and their families.
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