[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 8, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E464-E465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NATIONAL LIPID DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 8, 2024

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, as co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and 
Stroke Coalition,

[[Page E465]]

I want to recognize May 10th as National Lipid Day. More than 71 
million adults have high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 
(LDL-C), which increases their risk of developing heart disease--one of 
the leading causes of death in the United States. LDL-C accumulation in 
the arteries decreases the flow of blood and can deprive the heart or 
brain from an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood.
  Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which can lead to a 
heart attack or stroke, is responsible for nearly 85 percent of 
cardiovascular deaths. More than 200 studies with over 2,000,000 
patients have broadly established that elevated LDL-C levels 
unequivocally cause ASCVD.
  Any comprehensive effort to reduce the number of adverse heart and 
stroke events across the country must be centered on cardiovascular 
disease prevention. We must also ensure that those who have already 
suffered a cardiac event do not suffer another. New data shows that 
there is a gap in care for Medicare beneficiaries who have had a heart 
attack. Less than 30 percent of Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries' 
LDL-C levels were tested in the 90 days after being hospitalized due to 
a heart attack, despite clinical guidelines recommending earlier and 
more frequent LDL-C testing to monitor and manage one's cholesterol 
levels. In fact, a third of those survivors did not receive an LDL-C 
test in the full year following their heart attack. The importance of 
timely LDL-C testing cannot be understated. Patients who fail to reach 
their LDL-C level goals are at a 44 percent higher risk of experiencing 
an adverse cardiac event. The lack of guideline-directed care 
represents a missed opportunity to prevent further adverse events.
  According to an article published by the American Heart Association, 
Black Americans and other people of color suffered a disproportionately 
higher increase in cardiovascular disease-related deaths during the 
pandemic than their white counterparts. Black Americans experienced a 
20 percent increase in cardiovascular disease-related deaths during the 
pandemic, compared to just a 2 percent increase among white Americans 
in the same timeframe. A person's race or ethnicity should not put them 
at a higher risk of incurring a cardiac event, yet this data shows 
striking disparities exist among racial and ethnic groups. All 
Americans deserve quality cardiovascular care with a focus on 
prevention and getting access to innovative treatments when needed. 
Special attention should be focused on the disparities in outcomes that 
occur among racial and ethnic groups.
  On National Lipid Day, we must recognize the importance of routine 
lipid screening and management as a critical piece of the puzzle while 
we work to significantly reduce the frequency of cardiac events.

                          ____________________