III
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 672
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 14, 2022
Mr. Luján (for himself, Mr. Braun, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of May 2022 as Stroke Awareness Month
.
Whereas stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, is an acute neurological injury that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted by a clot in the artery or a burst of the artery;
Whereas stroke is a medical emergency that can cause permanent neurological damage, or even death, if not promptly diagnosed and treated;
Whereas, in the United States, stroke is now the fifth leading cause of death;
Whereas, in the United States, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds, and someone dies of stroke every 3.5 minutes;
Whereas approximately 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year;
Whereas the stroke-related costs in the United States came to nearly $53,000,000,000 between 2017 and 2018, including the cost of healthcare services, medicines to treat stroke, and missed days of work;
Whereas stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability;
Whereas those disabilities may require ongoing physical, occupational, speech-language, and other therapy and surgeries;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that the most effective stroke treatments are available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first symptoms and recommends the public be familiar with and use the mnemonic F.A.S.T. to identify the signs and symptoms of stroke;
Whereas the F.A.S.T. mnemonic describes the symptoms of stroke, the methods for assessing those symptoms, and the actions to take in response to those symptoms and stands for—
face drooping, observable when the person smiles and one side of the face droops;
arm weakness, observable when both arms are raised and one arm drifts downward;
speech difficulty, observable when asking the person to repeat a simple phrase and the speech is slurred or strange; and
time to call 9–1–1, if any of these symptoms are present; and
Whereas the permanent health concerns and treatments resulting from stroke have a considerable impact on children, families, and society: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
supports the designation of May 2022 as Stroke Awareness Month
to increase awareness and education so that people in the United States know their risk factors and obtain treatment early;
encourages the people of the United States to support the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations that work to enhance public awareness of stroke; and
encourages continued coordination and cooperation between government, researchers, families, and the public to improve prognoses by increasing access to timely treatments for individuals who suffer strokes.