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.