[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
286 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. 286) recognizing May 16, 2012, as 
     Hereditary Angioedema Awareness Day and expressing the sense 
     of the Senate that more research and treatments are needed 
     for hereditary angioedema.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the Inouye amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the resolution, 
as amended, be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, 
and any related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1495) was agreed to, as follows:

     (Purpose: To strike provisions relating to increased research)

       Beginning on page 3, strike line 8 and all that follows 
     through line 18 on page 4 and insert the following: ``the 
     public.''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 286), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 286

       Whereas Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare and 
     potentially life-threatening genetic disease, affecting 
     between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 50,000 people, leading to 
     patients being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for many years;
       Whereas HAE is characterized by symptoms including episodes 
     of edema or swelling in various body parts including the 
     hands, feet, gastrointestinal tract, face, and airway;
       Whereas patients often experience swelling in the 
     intestinal wall, causing bouts of excruciating abdominal 
     pain, nausea, and vomiting, and swelling of the airway, which 
     can lead to death by asphyxiation;
       Whereas a defect in the gene that controls the C1-inhibitor 
     blood protein causes production of either inadequate or non-
     functioning C1-inhibitor protein, leading to an inability to 
     regulate complex biochemical interactions of blood-based 
     systems involved in disease fighting, inflammatory response, 
     and coagulation;
       Whereas HAE is an autosomal dominant disease, and 50 
     percent of patients with the disease inherited the defective 
     gene from a parent, while the other 50 percent developed a 
     spontaneous mutation of the C1-inhibitor gene at conception;
       Whereas HAE patients often experience their first HAE 
     attack during childhood or adolescence, and continue to 
     suffer from subsequent attacks for the duration of their 
     lives;
       Whereas HAE attacks can be triggered by infections, minor 
     injuries or dental procedures, emotional or mental stress, 
     and certain hormonal or blood medications;
       Whereas the onset or duration of an HAE attack can 
     negatively affect a person's physical, emotional, economic, 
     educational, and social well-being due to activity 
     limitations;
       Whereas the annual cost for treatment per patient can 
     exceed $500,000, causing a substantial economic burden;
       Whereas there is a significant need for increased and 
     normalized medical professional education regarding HAE; and
       Whereas there is also a significant need for further 
     research on HAE to improve diagnosis and treatment options 
     for patients; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate--
       (A) recognizes and celebrates May 16, 2012, as Hereditary 
     Angioedema Awareness Day; and
       (B) supports increased awareness of Hereditary Angioedema 
     (HAE) by physicians and the public.

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