SR0738 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0738 LRB103 38331 MST 68466 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, High cholesterol, also called hypercholesterolemia, is the chronic presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood that can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and even cardiovascular (CV) events like heart attacks or strokes; and

WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that CVD is arguably the most underappreciated public health crisis of our time; someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 40 seconds, yet approximately 80% are preventable; and

WHEREAS, Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or "bad" cholesterol, is an easily modifiable risk factor for CVD; lower LDL-C is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke; and

WHEREAS, Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. among racial and ethnic minority populations; and

WHEREAS, The American Heart Association (AHA) has demonstrated that Hispanic Americans are at exceptionally high risk for cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, both of which can lead to a stroke or heart attack; and

WHEREAS, More than 80 million adults have high LDL-C; and

WHEREAS, The AHA indicates that CVD disproportionately affects minority populations; 52.3% of Hispanic males and 42.7% of Hispanic females over the age of 20 are affected by CVD; 60.1% of Black males and 58.8% of Black females 20 years of age and older have CVD; and

WHEREAS, The CDC found that one in three deaths in the U.S. is due to heart disease, and this results in more than $216 billion in healthcare costs; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 60% of middle-aged Hispanic adults have high cholesterol, yet only half are aware of this, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association; and

WHEREAS, A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Cardiology found cholesterol testing, an important preventive measure for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, declined during the COVID pandemic; and

WHEREAS, The resources needed to bend the curve in CVD exist, yet 71% of hypercholesterolemia patients at high risk of a CV event never achieve recommended LDL-C treatment guideline thresholds; and

WHEREAS, The LDL-C Action Summit, a consortium of the nation's leading cardiovascular stakeholder groups, seeks to cut cardiovascular events in half by 2030; and

WHEREAS, The CDC's Million Hearts program seeks to improve access and quality of care to reduce heart disease, stroke, and death; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health recognizes April as National Minority Health Month; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2024 as "Minority Health Month" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge all Americans to learn their LDL-C level; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of Public Health to update the State's cardiovascular plan to accelerate quality improvements and measures to achieve improved health outcomes for CVD patients; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop campaigns to increase cholesterol tests during the month of April; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge providers to treat all CVD patients in accordance with American College of Cardiology treatment guidelines; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.