[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 SENATE RESOLUTION 672--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF MAY 
                   2022 AS ``STROKE AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. LUJAN (for himself, Mr. Braun, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Rubio) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 672

       Whereas stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, 
     is an acute neurological injury that occurs when the blood 
     supply to a part of the brain is interrupted by a clot in the 
     artery or a burst of the artery;
       Whereas stroke is a medical emergency that can cause 
     permanent neurological damage, or even death, if not promptly 
     diagnosed and treated;
       Whereas, in the United States, stroke is now the fifth 
     leading cause of death;
       Whereas, in the United States, someone has a stroke every 
     40 seconds, and someone dies of stroke every 3.5 minutes;
       Whereas approximately 795,000 people in the United States 
     have a stroke each year;
       Whereas the stroke-related costs in the United States came 
     to nearly $53,000,000,000 between 2017 and 2018, including 
     the cost of healthcare services, medicines to treat stroke, 
     and missed days of work;
       Whereas stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term 
     disability;
       Whereas those disabilities may require ongoing physical, 
     occupational, speech-language, and other therapy and 
     surgeries;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     advises that the most effective stroke treatments are 
     available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed 
     within 3 hours of the first symptoms and recommends the 
     public be familiar with and use the mnemonic F.A.S.T. to 
     identify the signs and symptoms of stroke;
       Whereas the F.A.S.T. mnemonic describes the symptoms of 
     stroke, the methods for assessing those symptoms, and the 
     actions to take in response to those symptoms and stands 
     for--
       (1) face drooping, observable when the person smiles and 
     one side of the face droops;
       (2) arm weakness, observable when both arms are raised and 
     one arm drifts downward;
       (3) speech difficulty, observable when asking the person to 
     repeat a simple phrase and the speech is slurred or strange; 
     and
       (4) time to call 9-1-1, if any of these symptoms are 
     present; and
       Whereas the permanent health concerns and treatments 
     resulting from stroke have a considerable impact on children, 
     families, and society: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of May 2022 as ``Stroke 
     Awareness Month'' to increase awareness and education so that 
     people in the United States know their risk factors and 
     obtain treatment early;
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to support 
     the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of 
     organizations that work to enhance public awareness of 
     stroke; and
       (3) encourages continued coordination and cooperation 
     between government, researchers, families, and the public to 
     improve prognoses by increasing access to timely treatments 
     for individuals who suffer strokes.

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