Policy Resolution HHS-24-30

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;

WHERAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that CVD is arguably the most underappreciated public health crisis of our time, and someone in the US has a heart attack every 40 seconds – yet about 80% are preventable;

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;

WHEREAS, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among African Americans and other racial and ethnic minority populations;

WHEREAS, more than 80 million adults have high LDL-C, according to the CDC;

WHEREAS, the American Heart Association (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, and 60.1% of Black males and 58.8% of Black females 20 years of age and older have CVD;

WHEREAS, the CDC found that 1 in 3 deaths in the U.S. are due to heart disease and this results in more than $216 billion in healthcare costs;

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;

WHERAS, 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;

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;

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Million Hearts program seeks to improve access and quality of care to reduce heart disease, stroke, and death; and

WHEREAS, September is recognized as National Cholesterol Education Month to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and the importance of knowing one’s LDL-C number.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) urge all State Departments of Health to update the state’s cardiovascular plan to accelerate quality improvements and measures to achieve improved health outcomes for CVD patients;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL encourages all Americans to know their LDL-C number;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges providers to treat all CVD patients in accordance with American College of Cardiology treatment guidelines;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges states to recognize September as Cholesterol Education Month and September 1 as LDL-C Awareness Day; 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 United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: HHS-24-30
• Sponsored by: Sen. Raumesh Akbari (TN)
• Policy Committee: Health and Human Services (HHS)