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A RESOLUTION designating February 2024 as American Heart Month in order to 1
raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and the importance of knowing one’s 2
cholesterol. 3
WHEREAS, the American Heart Association defines cholesterol as a waxy, fat-like 4
substance circulating in the blood; and 5
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies two 6
types of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density 7
lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); and 8
WHEREAS, according to the CDC, nearly 94 million adults in the United States 9
have high cholesterol; and 10
WHEREAS, heart disease results in 386 deaths per 100,000 adults age 35 and over 11
in Kentucky; and 12
WHEREAS, inherited risks of heart disease include familial hypercholesterolemia 13
(FH) and elevated Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a), which can be detected and treated early; and 14
WHEREAS, FH is a common, life-threatening genetic disorder affecting the body’s 15
ability to remove LDL-C and, if left untreated, leads to early heart attack and heart 16
disease; and 17
WHEREAS, patients with FH or elevated cholesterol levels may need treatment 18
that includes statins and lipid-lowering medications; and 19
WHEREAS, heart disease disproportionately affects minority populations. In men 20
and women, low HDL cholesterol prevalence was higher in non-Hispanic adults than in 21
non-Hispanic white, black, and Asian adults, and in men, prevalence was higher in non-22
Hispanic white and Asian adults than in non-Hispanic black adults; and 23
WHEREAS, data from the 2019 Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Survey indicated 24
12.1 percent of Kentuckians were told they have heart disease, compared with the 25
national average of 8.4 percent. Both Black and white Kentuckians reported near equal 26
rates of 12 percent and 12.3 percent; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1744
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WHEREAS, February is designated as American Heart Month by the National 1
Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, to raise awareness of heart 2
disease, cholesterol and the importance of screening and treatment; and 3
WHEREAS, the LDL-C Action Summit, a consortium of the nation’s leading 4
cardiovascular stakeholder groups, seeks to cut cardiovascular events in half by 2030; 5
and 6
WHEREAS, the CDC’s Million Hearts program is a national initiative to prevent 7
one million heart attacks and strokes between 2022 and 2027; 8
NOW, THEREFORE, 9
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 10
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 11
Section 1. The House of Representatives does hereby recognize February 2024 12
as American Heart Month to raise public awareness of heart disease and cholesterol-13
related illnesses, including Familial Hypercholesterolemia and elevated Lipoprotein (a). 14
Section 2. The House of Representatives supports raising awareness of heart 15
disease, cholesterol, and lipid-lowering treatments to improve cardiovascular health in the 16
Commonwealth of Kentucky. 17
Section 3. The House of Representatives urges the Heart Disease and Stroke 18
Prevention Program within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to dedicate 19
resources to addressing cardiovascular disease and improved cholesterol screenings. 20