HR0662 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0662 LRB100 15367 MST 30341 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Diabetes affects more than 29 million Americans, including approximately 1.3 million Illinoisans, or 12.8% of the population in Illinois, and is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not properly produce or use the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar; and

WHEREAS, Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, representing an estimated 90 to 95% of all diagnosed adult diabetes in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death nationally; and

WHEREAS, Of the more than 29 million people who have diabetes nationally, more than eight million are undiagnosed and unaware they have the disease; and

WHEREAS, The estimated total cost of diabetes in Illinois is an estimated $12.2 billion each year due to serious health complications, including heart disease, stroke, amputation, end-stage kidney disease, blindness, and death; and

WHEREAS, Cardiovascular disease, a class of diseases involving the heart or blood vessels, is the leading cause of death associated with diabetes due to complications associated with the disease, such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity, which can result in heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke; and

WHEREAS, People with Type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease; and

WHEREAS, The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increases with age and affects more than one in four seniors over the age of 65 in the United States; and

WHEREAS, A recent study shows that 52% of adults living with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease; and

WHEREAS, Diabetes costs America $245 billion annually, with direct medical costs accounting for $176 billion of the total costs in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Appropriate awareness and education about the cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes can effectively improve the overall outcome and reduce the financial burden of the illness; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health and other partners are seeking to promote awareness, education, and action related to diabetes and the link to cardiovascular disease; and

WHEREAS, It is essential that state agencies, public health authorities, health care providers, insurers, and other health care stakeholders promote education and awareness of the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, risk factors and opportunities to promote better health for individuals and populations at risk; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare November of 2017 as "Diabetes and Heart Disease Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage organizations to raise awareness of and address the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.