WHEREAS, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and in the United States, approximately 21 million patients have been diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and are at risk of cardiovascular event; and

WHEREAS, 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), nearly 70 million United States adults had higher than recommended LDL-C levels, and 43.1 million people in the United States are currently treated with lipid- lowering therapies to manage cardiovascular risk; and

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, and 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; and

WHEREAS, in Massachusetts, 418,600 adults have been told by a health professional that they had angina, a stroke, a heart attack, or coronary heart disease, which are some of the manifestations of ASCVD, 6,030 people had ASCVD as an underlying cause of death, 235,200 adults reported experiencing a heart attack in their lifetime, and 129,700 adults reported experiencing a stroke in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Massachusetts spends an estimated $2.4 billion dollars on direct medical expenses for ASCVD care each year; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, by the Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts urges state agencies to expand comprehensive cardiovascular screening programs to allow for earlier identification of patients at risk of cardiovascular events, to collaborate with federal and national agencies and organizations to establish or expand comprehensive cardiovascular screening programs, to update 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 ​, and that policies are created to decrease the rising number of deaths of Americans as a result of ASCVD; and be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by the Clerk of the Senate to the author for appropriate distribution.