02/13/2012 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  HCR 20-AMERICAN HEART MONTH                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:48:24 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS  said that the  next bill before the  committee would                                                               
be HCR 20.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
BECKY ROONEY, staff, Representative  Peggy Wilson, introduced HCR
 on behalf of the sponsor.  She read from the following sponsor                                                               
statement:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     HCR 20 raises awareness of the nation's leading cause                                                                      
     of death: cardiovascular disease. This unfortunate                                                                         
     disease causes an average of one American death every                                                                      
     39 seconds or nearly 2,200 deaths each day. It is the                                                                      
     costliest disease in the nation, with direct and                                                                           
     indirect costs estimated to be $297,700,000 a year.                                                                        
     The American Heart Association's 2020 impact goal                                                                          
     seeks to improve cardiovascular health of all                                                                              
     Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from                                                                         
     cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent                                                                            
     through research, population-level and community-level                                                                     
     interventions, and public health and policy measures                                                                       
     The passage  of this  resolution would join  Alaska and                                                                    
     the American Heart Association  in raising awareness of                                                                    
     this disease by celebrating  February 2012 as "American                                                                    
     Heart Month"  and promoting education and  awareness by                                                                    
     encouraging  citizens to  learn  the  warning signs  of                                                                    
     heart attack and stroke.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:51:26 PM                                                                                                                    
DR.  BOB URATA,  Family Physician,  Juneau, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
support of  HCR 20. He  pointed out that  it is clear  that heart                                                               
disease and  stroke are major  causes of death and  disability in                                                               
the  United  States,  and  yet  they are  diseases  that  can  be                                                               
prevented. Avoiding key risk factors  and treating those that are                                                               
abnormal,   are   important   to  reducing   these   deaths   and                                                               
disabilities. According to the National  Institute of Health, 1.6                                                               
million  lives  have been  saved  since  1977,  and there  is  an                                                               
estimate that  the 44  percent decrease  in heart  disease deaths                                                               
was  a  result  of  prevention  through  the  reduction  of  risk                                                               
factors.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He shared information about a new  threat - obesity - and a study                                                               
about the  lack of knowledge about  the disease. He said  that 27                                                               
percent of Alaskan high school  students are overweight or obese.                                                               
Obesity leads  to an increase  in high blood  pressure, diabetes,                                                               
and heart  disease. In addition,  a 2005 study reveals  that only                                                               
27 percent  of respondents  knew the signs  of heart  attacks and                                                               
would call  911 first if someone  was having a heart  attack or a                                                               
stroke.  He stressed  that increasing  awareness of  risk factors                                                               
and emergency care  are the first steps toward  reducing the risk                                                               
of  death   and  disability   from  cardiovascular   disease.  He                                                               
concluded that HCR 20 is an important step in that direction.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MEYER   asked  how  Alaska  compares   to  other  states                                                               
regarding heart attacks.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DR. URATA said  that Alaska does better than  most states because                                                               
it  has a  relatively  young population.  Heart  attacks are  the                                                               
second highest cause of death after cancer.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON voiced  appreciation for  Dr. Urata's  efforts. He                                                               
wondered if eating a lot of fish helps prevent heart disease.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
DR. URATA  said that some  studies have come to  that conclusion.                                                               
He suggested eating fish for the Omega 3 oils.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:56:04 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MEYER  moved  to  report  HCR  20  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.  There being  no objection,  HCR 20  moved from  the Senate                                                               
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.