Policy Resolution HHS-22-40

WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators has long sought to combat cardiovascular disease is as the leading cause of death in the United States;

WHEREAS, in the US, approximately 21 million patients have been diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and are at risk of a cardiovascular event according to the US Census Bureau;

WHEREAS, the Mayo Clinic states 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);

WHEREAS, in 2016, nearly 70 million US adults had higher than recommended LDL-C levels;

WHEREAS, 43.1 million people in the US are currently treated with lipid-lowering therapies to manage cardiovascular risk;

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;

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

WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heart disease is the leading killer of Black Americans, and ASCVD kills over 46,000 Black Americans each year;

WHEREAS, 9.2% of Black Americans have been diagnosed with ASCVD by a health care professional; and

WHEREAS, Black Americans are 35% less likely than non-Hispanic white Americans to report use of cholesterol-lowering statin therapy, despite similar rates of cholesterol across all races according to the CDC.

THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) urges state governments to expand routine cholesterol screening and other cardiovascular screening to allow for earlier identification of patients at risk of cardiovascular events;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges an update of 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;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators supports the creation of policies to decrease the rising number of deaths of Americans as a result of ASCVD; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the Unites States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.

• SPONSOR: Senator Raumesh Akbari (TN)
  
• Committee of Jurisdiction: Health and Human Services (HHS) Policy Committee
  
• Ratified in Plenary Session: December 2, 2021
  
• Ratification certified by: Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), NBCSL President