House Resolution 43

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE NEED IN MISSISSIPPI FOR CARDIOVASCULAR RISK REDUCTION THROUGH SCREENING FOR AND TREATMENT OF METABOLIC SYNDROME.

WHEREAS, the severity of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Mississippi and the rapid deterioration of health of Mississippians due to metabolic syndrome represents a substantial threat to the public, especially Mississippians; and

WHEREAS, data from NHANES 2009 through 2016 suggests that only around 20% of United States adults have "optimal" metabolic metrics defined as meeting all the following including waist circumference of 40/35 inches for men/women respectively, fasting glucose <100 mg/dL and hemoglobin A1c <5.7%, systolic blood pressure <120 and diastolic blood pressure <80 mmHg, triglycerides <150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥40/50 mg/dL for men/women respectively and not taking any related medications for applicable metabolic diseases; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi's obesity rate is currently over 40% and projected to reach up to 66.7% by 2030, with 93% of those who live with obesity having unmet medical needs and the risk of adult obesity is greater among adults who had obesity as children, and racial and ethnic disparities tied to obesity exist by the age of 2; and

WHEREAS, in 2008, Mississippi spent $925 million in health care costs directly related to obesity, over 200 medical conditions are associated with obesity including 13 different types of cancer; and

WHEREAS, type 2 diabetes complications include lower extremity amputations, end stage renal disease, blindness, loss of protective sensation, heart disease, and premature death and also has related substantial, detrimental health consequences which are often preventable with early intervention; and

WHEREAS, in 2012 alone, the American Diabetes Association estimated the economic burden of diabetes in Mississippi to have exceeded $2.74 billion, or $10,402 per Mississippian with diabetes as per the Mississippi Department of Health and in 2016, diabetes accounted for 1,083 deaths in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that a five to seven percent weight loss can delay and possibly prevent type 2 diabetes; and

WHEREAS, hypertension increases risk for heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the United States and hypertension can also lead to kidney disease, blindness, and mental impairment; and

WHEREAS, nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension which is equivalent to 116 million people, with high blood pressure serving as a primary or contributing cause of death for 516,955 people in the United States in 2019, and by 2035, is projected to reach $220.9 billion; and

WHEREAS, men, people over age 65, lower socioeconomic status, and black adults are more likely to be affected; and

WHEREAS, dyslipidemia is a major contributor to cardiovascular risk and 1 in 6 Mississippians have high cholesterol as per the Mississippi State Department of Health; and

WHEREAS, over the next 20 years, Mississippi's obesity rate could contribute to 415,353 new cases of type 2 diabetes and 814,504 new cases of coronary heart disease and stroke; and

WHEREAS, if Mississippi's average body mass index (BMI) were lowered by 5%, Mississippi residents would be spared from developing new cases of major obesity-related diseases with a reduction of 86,347 spared from type 2 diabetes, 66,897 spared from coronary heart disease and stroke, 56,741 spared from hypertension, and 4,795 spared from obesity-related cancer; and

WHEREAS, weight loss in child-bearing women with overweight or obesity may help mitigate epigenetically transmitted increased risk of obesity and metabolic disease in future generations; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Obesity Action Plan includes educating healthcare professionals on etiology and the physiology of obesity in order to recognize, prevent and treat obesity, encouraging healthcare professionals to adopt standards of practice for prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of overweight and/or obese children, adolescents and adults that will help them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, avoid obesity-related complications, and reduce the psychosocial consequences of obesity; and

WHEREAS, the lack of treatment options due to poor insurance coverage confounds a significant barrier to reducing the cardiometabolic risk that uncontrolled and/or untreated obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia poses to about 40% of Mississippians; and

WHEREAS, the current standard of care is that concurrent initiation of lifestyle therapy and pharmacotherapy should be considered in patients with weight-related complications that can be ameliorated by weight loss; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure has additional regulations regarding prescribing anti-obesity medications to ensure safety; and

WHEREAS, obesity is a chronic, progressive, relapsing, and treatable multi-factorial, neurobehavioral disease, wherein an increase in body fat promotes adipose tissue dysfunction and abnormal fat mass physical forces, resulting in adverse metabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial health consequences; and

WHEREAS, barriers to screening and treatment options of the individual components and cumulative effect of metabolic syndrome is a direct threat to Mississippians; and

WHEREAS, we support the practice of following current clinical practice guidelines for patients affected by obesity and related chronic diseases for aggressive cardiovascular risk reduction; and

WHEREAS, we support efforts to remove barriers to treatment including lack of access to care especially for those with racial, ethnic, socioeconomic disparities, lack of insurance coverage for treatment options for obesity, stigma associated with obesity, food deserts and lack of access to dietary education, lack of safe access to exercise, lack of appropriate training and educational opportunities for providers seeking to improve access to quality care:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the need for cardiovascular risk reduction through screening for and treatment of metabolic syndrome.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.