HR0969 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0969 LRB099 20039 MST 44446 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, South Asians are individuals who derive their ethnic origins from the Indian Subcontinent, made up of countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; and

WHEREAS, South Asians hold a high risk of heart attack and stroke that has often been overlooked; this increased risk is due to a variety of factors, ranging from genetics to lifestyle choices; and

WHEREAS, South Asians are at 4 times greater risk for heart disease than the general population; amongst South Asian men, 25% of heart attacks occur under the age of 40 and 50% occur under the age of 50; South Asian women have a 30% increased risk of heart disease when compared to Caucasians and a 325% increased risk when compared to the Chinese; South Asians make up 17% of the world population, but hold 60% of the world's cardiovascular disease burden; and

WHEREAS, The South Asian Cardiovascular Center at Advocate Heart Institute of Advocate Health Care is the first of its kind in the Midwest designed to serve the South Asian community; the aim of the Center is to educate, screen, prevent, and treat South Asians for their high risk of cardiac disease; and

WHEREAS, The South Asian Cardiovascular Center at Advocate Heart Institute of Advocate Health Care provides a combination of hospital and outpatient clinical services to assure individuals and their families a comfortable and culturally sensitive experience; and

WHEREAS, The outreach efforts at the South Asian Cardiovascular Center at Advocate Heart Institute of Advocate Health Care are intended to inspire change and provide options to live a heart healthy lifestyle; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare March 12, 2016 as "Red Sari Day" for South Asian Cardiovascular Disease Awareness in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the South Asian Cardiovascular Center at Advocate Heart Institute of Advocate Health Care as an expression of our esteem and respect.