MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2012 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representatives Coleman (65th), Clarke, Bailey, Burnett, Harrison, Lane, Martinson, Perkins, Smith (27th), Thomas, Williams-Barnes, Wooten, Young
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE MONUMENTAL NEED FOR "A CALL TO ACTION" TO DEVISE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO DIE FROM HEART DISEASE AND STROKE EACH YEAR, AND ENCOURAGING THE CREATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES TO RAISE AWARENESS AND PROMOTE EDUCATION ABOUT HEART DISEASE AND TO INCREASE SCREENING PROGRAMS THAT WILL IDENTIFY RISK FACTORS IN WOMEN TO AID IN THE EARLY DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASE.
WHEREAS, heart disease, often called the "silent killer," continues to be the number one killer of women, causing a woman to die from heart disease every 60 seconds; and
WHEREAS, heart disease claims more women's lives than the next eight causes of death combined, including breast cancer; and
WHEREAS, two-thirds of American women who die suddenly from heart disease had no prior symptoms; and
WHEREAS, African-American women and Latina women have higher heart disease and stroke risk factors than Caucasian women of comparable socioeconomic status, with heart disease being the number one killer of African-American women; and
WHEREAS, increasing the number of women of different races and various age groups in cardiovascular clinical trials is pivotal to identifying the best treatment options for heart disease and stroke in all women; and
WHEREAS, continuation of programs such as "Go Red for Women," led by the American Heart Association (AHA), and WISEWOMAN, created by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which are designed to improve prevention through early diagnosis connected with the ability to access the best treatment, are vital to addressing women's heart health; and
WHEREAS, the Women's Heart Health Initiative (WHHI) explores a nontraditional venue to provide additional cardiovascular screening for women during their OB/GYN office visits that can be of further assistance to health care providers in early identification, education, and the prevention of heart disease:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That the Mississippi Legislature recognizes that there is a monumental need for "A Call to Action" to devise strategies, with a strong emphasis on recognizing the warning signs of a cardiovascular event, that encompass socioeconomic factors, cultural barriers, and lifestyle choices for those women at highest risk, thereby decreasing the deaths of one in three women who die of heart disease and stroke each year.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Mississippi Legislature encourages the creation of public policies to be implemented and monitored through the State Department of Health that allow collaborative efforts with private partners to raise awareness and promote education about heart disease, to increase screening programs that will identify risk factors in women to aid in the early detection and prevention of heart disease, to ensure access to medical treatment protocols for heart disease, and lastly, to provide suggestions and support for lifestyle choices that contribute to the management of heart disease for those women at highest risk in order to improve the quality of life for all women.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Capitol Press Corps.