[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 34 (Monday, February 26, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S988-S989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 566--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 2024 AS ``NATIONAL 
    CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION MONTH'' AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, AS ``LDL-
                            AWARENESS DAY''

  Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Boozman, 
Mr. Daines, Mr. Tillis, Ms. Sinema, and Mr. Budd) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 566

       Whereas cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of 
     death for men and women in the United States;
       Whereas projected rates of cardiovascular disease are 
     expected to increase significantly in the United States by 
     2060;
       Whereas, compared to urban areas, rural areas in the United 
     States have higher death rates for cardiovascular disease and 
     stroke, and a 40 percent higher prevalence of cardiovascular 
     disease;
       Whereas risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease 
     and poor health outcomes include elevated low density 
     lipoprotein cholesterol (referred to in this preamble as 
     ``LDL-C''), high levels of lipoprotein(a) cholesterol, 
     hypertension, obesity, low awareness of personal risk 
     factors, genetics, geographic location, and inequitable 
     access to care;
       Whereas lipoprotein(a) cholesterol is predominantly 
     genetically inherited and can build up in the walls of blood 
     vessels, creating cholesterol deposits, or plaques, and lead 
     to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease;
       Whereas LDL-C is a modifiable risk factor for 
     cardiovascular disease, and having lower LDL-C is associated 
     with a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke;
       Whereas more than 25.5 percent of adults in the United 
     States have high LDL-C;
       Whereas more than 200 studies with more than 2,000,000 
     patients have broadly established that elevated LDL-C 
     unequivocally causes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease;
       Whereas atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the 
     build-up of cholesterol plaque within the walls of arteries 
     and includes acute coronary syndrome, peripheral arterial 
     disease, and events such as heart attacks and strokes;
       Whereas the resources needed to bend the curve on 
     cardiovascular disease exist, yet 71 percent of 
     hypercholesterolemia patients at high risk of a 
     cardiovascular event never achieve recommended LDL-C 
     treatment guideline thresholds;
       Whereas only 33 percent of individuals with atherosclerotic 
     cardiovascular disease who are taking statins, a guideline 
     recommended lipid-lowering therapy, actually achieve LDL-C 
     goals;
       Whereas, although clinical guidelines recommend that a 
     patient hospitalized for heart attack receive an LDL-C test 
     in the 90 days following discharge from a hospital, only 27 
     percent of patients receive the test;
       Whereas African-American adults are less likely to receive 
     an LDL-C test in the 90 days following discharge from a 
     hospital, despite having a higher prevalence of 
     cardiovascular disease;
       Whereas significant gaps in care lead to subsequent 
     cardiovascular events;
       Whereas the Million Hearts program seeks to improve access 
     to and quality of care to reduce heart disease, stroke, and 
     death; and
       Whereas September is recognized as National Cholesterol 
     Education Month to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease 
     and the importance of knowing one's LDL-C number: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) encourages all individuals in the United States to know 
     their low density lipoprotein cholesterol (referred to in 
     this resolution as ``LDL-C'') number;
       (2) designates September 2024 as ``National Cholesterol 
     Education Month'';

[[Page S989]]

       (3) designates September 30, 2024, as ``LDL-C Awareness 
     Day''; and
       (4) recognizes the urgent need for screening and treating 
     of elevated LDL-C to reduce the risk of cardiovascular 
     disease and cardiovascular events, including heart attacks 
     and strokes.

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