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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JULY 22, 2022 | The Indian Eye 20

Pramila Jayapal Highlights South Asian Heart

Health Awareness and Research Bill

The Bill would raise awareness about the alarming rate of heart disease in South Asian

communities in the US while investing in strategies to reverse this deadly trend

OUR BUREAU heart disease but also ensuring that Among the many issues, AAPI disease, including the South Asian
those living with heart disease re- has been focused on in recent times, population of the United States.
Austin, TX
ceive the care, treatment, resources Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, imme- As per the Bill, the Centers for
ith your help and advocacy, and support they need,” said Con- diate past President of AAPI, said, Disease Control and Prevention must
we will pass this Bill in the gresswoman Jayapal. “I am proud “Creating awareness about this ma- award grants to states for awareness
WFull House next month,” that this urgently necessary legisla- jor health issue among South Asian initiatives, educational materials,
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal tion passed committee and I won’t Americans has been a major task un- and research catalogs regarding the
told delegates of the American Asso- stop fighting until it becomes law.” dertaken by several not-for-profit or- prevalence of heart disease, includ-
ciation of Physicians of Indian Origin Heart disease is the number one ganizations, including the American ing the association of type 2 diabetes,
(AAPI) during the 40th annual Con- Global Public Health problem. South Association of Physicians of Indian with respect to the South Asian pop-
vention held in San Antonio, TX on Asians are at a four-times greater Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic ulation and other at-risk populations.
Saturday, June 25th, 2022. risk of heart disease than their west- medical organization in the United The Bill would raise awareness
While expressing gratitude and ern counterparts and have a greater States.” about the alarming rate of heart dis-
appreciation to the physical fraterni- chance of having a heart attack be- Dr. Kolli thanked Congress- ease in South Asian communities in
ty for being in the frontline, especially fore 50 years of age. Heart attacks woman Pramila Jayapal for her ef- the United States while investing in
during the Covid Pandemic, the first strike South Asian Men and Women forts in introducing the critical leg- strategies to reverse this deadly trend.
ever woman Congress Representa- at younger ages, and as a result, both islation, South Asian Heart Health Studies have shown that South
tive of South Asian Origin, Rep. Jay- morbidity and mortality are higher Awareness and Research Act, which Asians in the United States—people
apal, who is the Chair of Democratic among them compared to any other has now passed the subcommittee who immigrated from or whose fam-
Caucus said, “One of the legislations ethnic group. They tend to develop of the US House Energy and Com- ilies immigrated from countries in-
I have been very passionate about heart disease ten years earlier than merce Committee on May 11 and is cluding India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
has been the Bill I had introduced other groups.” now set to advance to the full House Sri Lanka and Nepal—are experienc-
in the Congress, South Asian Heart Dr. Ravi Kolli, the new President and for working with her colleagues ing a dramatic rise in heart disease.
Health Awareness and Research of AAPI, pointed out, “While South to ensure its passage. South Asians make up 25 percent of
Act,” which has now been passed by Asians make up only 23% of the The South Asian Heart Health the world’s population but 50 per-
the subcommittee of the US House global population, they account for Awareness and Research Act (H.R. cent of global cardiovascular deaths.
Energy and Commerce Committee, 60% of all heart disease cases. And, 3131) is aimed at providing grants Additionally, South Asian
and she was hopeful that will pass the tragically, the mortality rate for heart of up to $1 million per year to fund Americans are four times more at
full House next month. disease is a staggering 40% higher research and prevention of heart risk of developing heart disease than
“As the first South Asian Amer- among South Asians. South Asian disease in South Asian communi- the general population, have a much
ican woman ever elected to the Americans are four times more like- ties. The bill establishes, or autho- greater chance of having a heart at-
House of Representatives, I am fully ly to suffer from heart disease than rizes to be established, programs tack before age 50 and have emerged
committed to not only raising aware- most people, and experience heart that support heart-disease research as the ethnic group with the highest
ness and educating the South Asian problems nearly decade earlier on and awareness among communities prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, which
community about the risk factors for average.” disproportionately affected by heart is a leading cause of heart disease.

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