ENROLLED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 137
BY REPRESENTATIVE HOFFMANN
A RESOLUTION
To designate the month of May 2016 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, cystic fibrosis, known as CF, affects cells that produce mucus,
perspiration, and digestive juices in the human body; and
WHEREAS, these normally thin, slippery fluids are rendered thick and sticky, and
rather than acting as lubricants, the cells affected by CF plug tubes, ducts, and passageways,
especially in the lungs and pancreas; and
WHEREAS, CF affects roughly seventy thousand people around the world, and thirty
thousand of those adults and children live in the United States; and
WHEREAS, advances in treatment and improvements leading to earlier detection of
this disease have led to people living longer with CF and an increase in the number of people
suffering from this debilitating condition; and
WHEREAS, throughout the world, more than half of those living with CF are
children, and one thousand new cases of this disabling condition are diagnosed each year;
and
WHEREAS, CF is a genetic defect, and in order for a child to have CF, both parents
must carry the defective gene, which is recessive, and pass those flawed genes on to the
child; and
WHEREAS, CF causes progressive damage to the respiratory system, and chronic
digestive system problems are among the most common manifestations of CF; and
WHEREAS, respiratory damage is caused by mucus build-up in the lungs and
bacterial infections which eventually lead to permanent lung damage, including the
formation of scar tissue or fibrosis which impedes the ability of the lungs to inflate and
deflate; and
Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 137 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, CF affects a specific protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane
conductance regulator that controls the normal movement of chloride, as well as water, in
and out of cells throughout the body; and
WHEREAS, CF causes the ducts of the pancreas to become blocked, causing fibrosis
of the pancreas which causes reduced absorption of fat and vitamins and can result in "cystic
fibrosis-related diabetes"; and
WHEREAS, almost half of all those affected with CF today are over eighteen years
of age; and
WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and
least costly method to identify persons likely to have CF; and
WHEREAS, early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and enhances the life
expectancy and improves the quality of life of those living with CF; and
WHEREAS, the average life expectancy of those with CF has been steadily
increasing since the 1950s and is currently nearly forty years; and
WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with CF includes access to
innovative treatments which can effect both longevity and quality of life; and
WHEREAS, improving both length and quality of life for people with CF begins
with earlier diagnosis and a greater awareness of the disease and its consequences.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate the month of May 2016 as Cystic Fibrosis
Awareness Month in Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
executive director of the Baton Rouge-Louisiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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