HF 1610

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                             A resolution
  1.2             relating to treatments for congestive heart failure. 
  1.3      
  1.4      WHEREAS, congestive heart failure is a major public health 
  1.5   problem that impacts five million Americans, or 1.5 percent of 
  1.6   the United States population; and 
  1.7      WHEREAS, each year there are 550,000 new cases of 
  1.8   congestive heart failure diagnosed, with 200,000 deaths and one 
  1.9   million hospitalizations per year due to the disease; and 
  1.10     WHEREAS, congestive heart failure is the leading cause of 
  1.11  hospitalization in patients over the age of 65; and 
  1.12     WHEREAS, congestive heart failure patients with the most 
  1.13  severe symptoms have a one-year survival rate of approximately 
  1.14  50 percent, and half of patients with even mild disease die 
  1.15  within five years; and 
  1.16     WHEREAS, the vast majority of patients are not diagnosed 
  1.17  until late in the course of disease; and 
  1.18     WHEREAS, a conservative estimate of annual United States 
  1.19  health expenditures for congestive heart failure is in excess of 
  1.20  ten billion dollars, with eight billion dollars used for 
  1.21  hospitalizations; and 
  1.22     WHEREAS, only 45 percent of patients are treated with ACE 
  1.23  inhibitors and 20 percent of patients receive beta blockers even 
  1.24  though current treatment guidelines recommend that approximately 
  2.1   80 percent of heart failure patients receive ACE inhibitors in 
  2.2   combination with beta blockers to extend life and reduce costly 
  2.3   hospitalizations; and 
  2.4      WHEREAS, the primary goals of National Heart Failure 
  2.5   Awareness Week are (1) to promote research related to all 
  2.6   aspects of heart failure and provide a forum for presentation of 
  2.7   that research; (2) to educate heart failure caregivers and 
  2.8   patients through programs, publications, and other media 
  2.9   allowing for more effective treatment and diagnosis of heart 
  2.10  failure; and (3) to enhance the quality and duration of life for 
  2.11  those with heart failure; NOW, THEREFORE, 
  2.12     BE IT RESOLVED by the legislature of the state of Minnesota 
  2.13  that it supports the principles described for National Heart 
  2.14  Failure Awareness Week. 
  2.15     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commissioner of the 
  2.16  Department of Health of the State of Minnesota is directed to 
  2.17  transmit the treatment guidelines for congestive heart failure 
  2.18  published by the Heart Failure Society of America, Inc., to all 
  2.19  appropriate health care professionals in Minnesota and urge them 
  2.20  to incorporate these guidelines into their practice. 
  2.21     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state of Minnesota endorses 
  2.22  the inclusion of the latest treatment advances for congestive 
  2.23  heart failure, including the ACE inhibitor and beta blocker 
  2.24  therapies in the curriculum of medical schools in this state. 
  2.25     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the 
  2.26  State of Minnesota is directed to prepare copies of this 
  2.27  memorial and transmit them to the Commissioner of the Department 
  2.28  of Health.