South Carolina General Assembly
125th Session, 2023-2024

Bill 3621


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A concurrent RESOLUTION

to IMPROVE the care of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the state of south carolina.

Whereas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2022 that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; and

Whereas, in the United States, approximately 21 million patients have been diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and are at risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; and

Whereas, the Mayo Clinic has stated that ASCVD is linked to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, and the risk of associated events can be modified by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); and

Whereas, in 2016, nearly 70 million U.S. adults had higher than recommended LDL-C levels, as evidenced in heart disease and stroke data published by the American Heart Association; and

Whereas, the CDC indicated also in 2022 that 43.1 million people in the United States are currently treated with lipid-lowering therapies to manage cardiovascular risk; and

Whereas, only 20% of people with ASCVD who are taking statins, one of the leading lipid-lowering therapies, actually achieve healthy levels of LDL-C; and

Whereas, the total direct and indirect cost of ASCVD in the United States was $555 billion in 2016, and is projected to climb to $1.1 trillion by 2035, according to the American Heart Association; and

Whereas, in South Carolina, 422,600 adults have been told by a health professional that they had angina, a stroke, a heart attack, or coronary heart disease, which are some of the manifestations of ASCVD; and

Whereas, in South Carolina, 5,562 people had ASCVD as an underlying cause of death; and

Whereas, in South Carolina, 205,900 adults have reported experiencing a heart attack in their lifetime and 181,800 adults have reported experiencing a stroke in their lifetime; and

Whereas, South Carolina spends an estimated $2.5 billion dollars on direct medical expenses for ASCVD care each year. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, urge state agencies to expand comprehensive cardiovascular screening programs to allow for earlier identification of patients at risk of cardiovascular events; to explore ways to collaborate with federal and national agencies and organizations to establish or expand comprehensive cardiovascular screening programs; to update the state's cardiovascular plan to accelerate quality improvements in the care rendered to these patients such that screening, treatment, monitoring, and improved health outcomes are achieved; and to support the creation of policies to decrease the rising number of deaths of Americans as a result of ASCVD.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House, and be printed in the journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

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This web page was last updated on January 12, 2023 at 10:33 AM