03/08/2022 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  HCR 10-AMERICAN HEART MONTH                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:33:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WILSON announced  the  consideration  of HOUSE  CONCURRENT                                                               
RESOLUTION  NO. 10  Proclaiming February  2022 as  American Heart                                                               
Month.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:33:30 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  RON GILLHAM,  Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor  of HCR 10,  stated that he became  interested in                                                               
promoting American Heart  Month because he had a  heart attack on                                                               
January  26, 2022.  He recalled  his medical  providers lamenting                                                               
that the  public lacked information about  cardiovascular disease                                                               
and preventative  measures despite 690,000 deaths  per year being                                                               
attributed  to heart-related  issues. He  said most  heart issues                                                               
are  due  to  lifestyle  choices,  but  33  percent  are  due  to                                                               
genetics. He explained that calcium  scoring is a diagnostic test                                                               
that can prevent a heart attack.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:36:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH said he was glad Mr. Gillham survived.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:36:56 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES pointed out that  the calcium scoring test doesn't                                                               
prevent  a heart  attack because  it  is a  diagnostic test.  She                                                               
asked  whether   doctors  could  prescribe  medication   if  they                                                               
identified a problem.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:37:35 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE GILHAM  stated that calcium scoring  is similar to                                                               
an ultrasound. He explained that  a routine exam could have shown                                                               
that he  had a blocked artery,  but it may not  have indicated he                                                               
was  prone to  a  heart attack.  However, it  would  have been  a                                                               
better indicator if he had  undergone calcium scoring. He related                                                               
that the  higher the  score, the  more likely  the person  was to                                                               
have a heart attack. He  said the calcium scoring diagnosis could                                                               
help  prevent a  heart attack.  He stated  his goal  was to  help                                                               
prevent others from having heart attacks.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:38:38 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES asked  if this was the first  year this resolution                                                               
was introduced.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:38:57 PM                                                                                                                    
EDRA  MORLEDGE,  Staff,  Representative  Ronald  Gillham,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska, related that  the legislature                                                               
passed a similar resolution in 2012.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:39:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WILSON turned to invited testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:40:45 PM                                                                                                                    
JAMIE  MORGAN,  Government  Relations  Director,  Western  States                                                               
Region,   American    Heart   Association    (AHA),   Sacramento,                                                               
California, began  invited testimony on  HCR 10. She  stated that                                                               
cardiovascular   disease  is   the  world's   leading  cause   of                                                               
preventable death.  She said cardiovascular disease  affects men,                                                               
women, and children of every age and race in the United States.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORGAN reported  that deaths from heart  disease increased by                                                               
4.8 percent  from 2019-2020,  which was  the largest  increase in                                                               
heart disease deaths  since 2012. She related  that stroke deaths                                                               
increased   by   50   percent   during   that   same   timeframe.                                                               
Cardiovascular  disease  continues to  be  the  leading cause  of                                                               
death in the  US, exacting a financial toll.  Direct and indirect                                                               
costs of cardiovascular disease was $378 billion from 2017-2018.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:40:53 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  MORGAN  related that  the  US  had  made great  progress  in                                                               
reducing the death  rate, but it has been  more modest concerning                                                               
cardiovascular  disease  in  women and  minorities.  Furthermore,                                                               
cardiovascular diseases  are the  number one  killer of  women in                                                               
the US, killing  more than all forms of cancer  combined, and the                                                               
leading  cause  of maternal  death  in  the  US. She  said  heart                                                               
disease is the number one killer of new moms.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORGAN  stated that AHA  believes that the research  is clear                                                               
that  community-based   and  preventative-based   strategies  can                                                               
increase survival  rates from  cardiovascular disease.  AHA feels                                                               
that  thousands of  lives could  be saved  by raising  awareness,                                                               
speaking  out  about  heart disease,  and  empowering  others  to                                                               
reduce their  risk for cardiovascular disease.  She urged members                                                               
to support HCR 10.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:42:02 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:43:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WILSON reconvened the meeting and opened public testimony.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:43:27 PM                                                                                                                    
ED  MARTIN,  representing  self,  Kenai, Alaska,  stated  he  has                                                               
resided in Alaska for 56 years  and had his first heart attack in                                                               
his late  40s and a  second one years later.  He said he  has six                                                               
stents  in his  heart, and  he  currently has  a blocked  carotid                                                               
artery. The remainder of his testimony was off-topic.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON noted  that written testimony could  be submitted to                                                               
the committee at shss@akleg.gov.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:45:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WILSON, after  first  determining no  one  else wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HCR 10.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:46:02 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE GILHAM  said he had considered  introducing a bill                                                               
but  decided  to  introduce  a  resolution  each  year  to  raise                                                               
awareness.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:46:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WILSON held HCR 10 in committee.