86R27629 BK-F
By: Parker H.R. No. 1272
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a
life-threatening hereditary genetic condition causing high levels
of LDL cholesterol in the blood due to defective LDL receptors in
the body that, if left untreated, dramatically increases the risk
of premature and aggressive cardiovascular disease; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that one in 250 people worldwide,
1.3 million Americans, and 115,000 Texans suffer from FH, though
less than 10 percent of those affected are diagnosed prior to an
unexpected heart attack or stroke in early adulthood; the condition
is inherited from at least one affected parent, but in rare cases
where both parents are affected, the disorder is much more severe
and carries a much higher risk of heart attack and heart disease,
even in childhood; and
WHEREAS, FH can be detected through a physical examination,
blood tests, genetic testing, and the assessment of a patient's
family medical history; because the condition is caused by
defective LDL receptors in the body, cases cannot be treated
through lifestyle and dietary changes alone and must be managed
with life-preserving cholesterol-lowering drugs; and
WHEREAS, Increased public awareness is needed to help ensure
that FH sufferers are diagnosed and treated as early as possible;
because FH is 100 percent treatable if caught in the pediatric
stage, early detection has the power to save lives and prevent
financial losses due to FH for Texas families and the State of
Texas; and
WHEREAS, Since learning eight years ago that both she and her
son have FH, Wenter Blair Anderson has worked tirelessly in behalf
of this goal; she has advocated for state legislation that would
require lipid panel screenings for third and fourth graders during
well child visits prior to the start of the school year, a practice
that would comply with guidelines established by the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as
well as with the CDC Office of Public Health Genomics's designation
of FH as a Tier 1 issue; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Anderson has also been invited to speak at a
number of medical conferences in the U.S. and abroad; a resident and
cattle rancher in Ponder, she is a founding board member and former
vice president of the FH Foundation, a national organization, as
well as a current board member of the National Lipid Association
Foundation and a former member of the American Heart Association
Texas Legislative Advisory Board; and
WHEREAS, By helping to promote education and screenings for
FH in all Texans, advocates such as Wenter Blair Anderson are
empowering more individuals to take important action to protect
their health; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby encourage greater awareness of Familial
Hypercholesterolemia (FH) and call on all Texans to learn more
about this serious medical condition.