[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AWARENESS MONTH

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                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 30, 2017

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and the outstanding work the 
Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) including the Lone Star 
Chapter of The Woodlands, TX, has done during the last sixteen years in 
the fight against the rare, debilitating disease known as pulmonary 
hypertension (PH).
  PH was first brought to my attention by my friend, Jack Stibbs, whose 
daughter, Emily, had been recently diagnosed at an early age. Due to 
Emily's early diagnosis, she has been able to lead a relatively normal 
life and Emily has recently graduated college. However, not all 
patients are as fortunate.
  PH is high blood pressure that occurs in the arteries of the lungs. 
The disease reflects the pressure the heart must apply to pump blood 
from the heart through the arteries of the lungs. As with a tangled 
hose, pressure builds up and backs up, forcing the heart to work harder 
and less oxygen to reach the body. PH symptoms generally include 
fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath with the severity of the 
disease correlating with its progression. If left undiagnosed or 
untreated, PH can lead to heart failure and death.
  Investment in medical research and sustained scientific progress in 
this area has led to fourteen Food and Drug Administration-approved 
targeted treatment options for two forms of PH. When individuals are 
diagnosed with PH quickly and begin appropriate therapy, their 
prognosis and life-expectancy improve dramatically. However, it 
currently takes an average of two and a half years to receive a 
diagnosis and three quarters of patients have severe PH when they are 
finally diagnosed.
  Without treatment, historical studies have shown a mean survival time 
of 2.8 years after diagnosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). 
Patients with advanced PH cannot benefit as greatly from available 
therapies and often face dramatic and costly medical interventions, 
including 24-hour IV infused medication, increased risk for 
hospitalization and in some cases heart-lung transplantation.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and continuing to 
support federal activities that improve the lives of patients impacted 
by PH, including research programs at the National Institutes of Health 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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