Bill Text: NY K02085 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Minority Health Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 27-8)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-06 - adopted [K02085 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K02085-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 2085

BY: M. of A. Hyndman

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        April 2024, as Minority Health Month in the State of
        New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of  this  Legislative  Body  to  recognize
official  months  that  are  set  aside to increase awareness of serious
health issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State and to
also encourage increased cholesterol screenings; and

  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; and

  WHEREAS,   The   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; and

  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; and

  WHEREAS,  Heart  disease is the leading cause of death in the United
States among racial  and  ethnic  minority  populations;  more  than  80
million adults have high LDL-C; and

  WHEREAS,  The American Heart Association (AHA) has demonstrated that
Hispanic Americans are at exceptionally  high  risk  for  cardiovascular
disease  and  coronary heart disease, both of which can lead to a stroke
or heart attack; and

  WHEREAS, The  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; and

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

  WHEREAS,  Nearly  60%  of  middle-aged  Hispanic  adults  have  high
cholesterol,  yet  only  half  are  aware  of this, according to a study
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association; and

  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; and

  WHEREAS,  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; and

  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; and

  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,  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Minority Health recognizes April as National Minority Health Month; and

  WHEREAS,  To  celebrate  Minority  Health  Month,  New  Yorkers  are
encouraged  to  urge  the  State  Department  of  Health to update their
cardiovascular plan to accelerate quality improvements and  measures  to
achieve  improved health outcomes for CVD patients; to develop campaigns
to increase cholesterol tests during the month of April; and to advocate
for providers to treat all CVD  patients  in  accordance  with  American
College of Cardiology treatment guidelines; and

  WHEREAS,  It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this health issue, and more must be done to  increase  activity  at  the
local,  State,  and  national  levels  to  improve health and healthcare
outcomes for racial and ethnic minority communities; now, therefore,  be
it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April  2024,  as  Minority
Health Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.