Research

Today, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to share the latest stroke data with congressional staff and to educate them about important research underway to better understand the human brain. 

Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, presented the key findings from a new AHA/ASA study released today, including:

• Almost 4 percent of U.S. adults — nearly one in 25 — will have a stroke. This translates into an additional 3.4 million people with stroke in 2030.
• Costs to treat stroke may increase from $71.55 billion in 2010 to $183.13 billion.
• Annual costs due to lost productivity could rise from $33.65 billion to $56.54 billion.
• Americans currently 45-64 years old are expected to have the highest increase in stroke at 5.1 percent.
• Stroke prevalence is projected to increase the most among Hispanic men between now and 2030, and the cost of treating stroke in Hispanic women is expected to triple.

Additionally, National Institutes of Health (NIH) leaders presented information about the recently-announced BRAIN Initiative, an ambitious new effort to map the human brain. Dr. Kathy Hudson, the NIH’s Deputy Director for Science, Outreach, and Policy, and Dr. Story Landis, Director of the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, spoke about how the new tools being developed through the BRAIN Initiative can lead to a better understanding of how the brain works and advancements in how neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease are treated.

The briefing was capped off by You’re the Cure advocate Jose’ Maldonado, was able to help bring the facts to life by sharing his story of surviving a stroke.  After suffering a stroke at the age of 46, Jose’ found himself having to learn to talk, walk, and read all over again.  But through his determination and the dedication of his family to his rehabilitation, Jose’ is now thriving.  He regularly counsels fellow stroke survivors, advocates with his lawmakers, and participates in clinical research trials.    

Across-the-board federal budget cuts that took effect in March, known as the sequester, eliminated $1.5 billion or 5% from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. These devastating cuts are already causing the cancellation or delay of promising research projects throughout the country, slowing progress in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke- as well as other diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

The American Heart Association has joined other groups in the medical research community in urging Congress to restore the funds cut in the sequester and to dedicate $32 billion for NIH in the fiscal year ahead to get NIH back on track.  President Obama’s FY2014 budget proposal submitted to Congress on April 10^th requested $31.331 billion for the NIH.

Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed budget bills, and the work now moves to the committees charged with appropriating the funds.  Restoring funding for NIH has strong bipartisan support, with 52 Senators and 168 Representatives having signed letters asking appropriators to get the NIH back on track so life-saving medical research isn’t delayed any further. 

The recent funding cuts will reduce the number of planned grants by about 2,300, eliminate more than 20,000 jobs nationwide, and reduce new economic activity by nearly $3 billion.  It is vital we bring these statistics to life, as appropriators decide the future funding levels for NIH, by sharing real stories about the devastating impact these funding cuts have on heart disease and stroke researchers and patients.

AHA volunteer Dr. Steven Houser, a researcher at Temple University , was recently featured in a news article, sharing the difficult choice he must make between firing staff or cutting back on promising research as a result of funding cuts from the sequester.  This is happening in research labs across the country, and ultimately the impact will trickle down to patients as new treatments and possible cures are put on hold.

Why does restoring medical research funding matter to you?  Share your story now!

We will continue to keep you updated on this critical funding situation and will need your help to continue to push Congress to act to restore funding for medical research that is imperative to the fight against heart disease and stroke. 

In early April, a fantastic group of Ohioans participated in the 2013 You’re the Cure on the Hill in Washington, D.C. We couldn’t be more proud of the excellent representation from the Buckeye State!

Throughout the day, eleven Ohio constituents participated in eight meetings with lawmakers and/or their staff members. They joined nearly 300 participants from across the country. While this event was slightly smaller than in years past, the effort was focused on key members, who serve in leadership or on critical committees.

This year, advocates focused on three key asks:

1. Restore National Institute of Health, reduced by the March 2013 sequester, and appropriate $32 billion in 2014 to get NIH “back on track” relative to pre-sequester funding levels (adjusted to keep pace with inflation.)
2. Allocate to the Million Hearts Campaign (from previously appropriated prevention fund dollars) to support an education campaign targeted at the 36 million Americans who have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
3. And, a more personal ask, Know Your Numbers for blood pressure.

The first day of the event, participants attended the Rally for Medical Research. They joined advocates from other health advocacy groups like cancer, diabetes and AIDs – all of which feel the positive impact of NIH research funding. An estimated 10,000 people joined the rally, which was moderated by Cokie Roberts and was live streamed on YouTube.

On Tuesday, everyone hit the Hill to spread the message. Although all of the meetings were critical, a small group of constituents ended the day in a face to face meeting with Speaker Boehner to discuss the importance of NIH funding. Way to go!

To view photos of the advocates in action, visit the Ohio Facebook page or the national You’re the Cure page. 

Michele Beck Glen Ellyn, IL

When I was 33 years old, I went to see my doctor and told her that I had pains in my chest and shortness of breath. I am a petite woman and was thin and young. Therefore, my doctor didn't run one heart test. I continued to see her off and on for one more year. Then at the age of 34 I had a heart attack. I called the paramedics and they came to my house and told me I was having an anxiety attack. They graciously took me to the hospital where I had another heart attack in the ER. Since that date I have two stents placed in my heart. The medications I take are not made for a woman who ages and changes. Research is needed badly so that it can keep up with the changes a women's body goes through. I am thankful to be alive, I pray to live so I can see my grandchildren grow up. Research will increase my chance of reaching an old age. Without research my daughters and granddaughters will all suffer the same fate in life that I have suffered.

Thanks to Go Red For Women, I learned the value of Hands-Only CPR and in July of 2011, I used it on my husband who died of a sudden cardiac death and is alive and sitting next to me today as I type. This is the value of research and knowing CPR.  I recently had the opportunity to attend You're the Cure On the Hill, AHA's national lobby day and advocate for research funding and share my story with my lawmakers.  I am blessed by all of the people I met at the event and pray with my husband Gary that heart disease and stroke lessen each year and the million hearts we save grow up to each save a million more.

For this legislative update, we have some exciting news regarding one of our top federal legislative priorities, National Institutes of Health Funding.  At the state level, we have been very busy seeing positive movement on our top issues.  As always, thank you for your efforts and please stay tuned to your email for more information and alerts so you know when we need your help!

Federal Update:

Last week we learned that Senator Richard Burr has co-authored a “Dear Colleague” letter with Senator Casey of Pennsylvania to urge their peers to support a strong commitment to NIH funding.  Senator Burr is showing great leadership on this issue.  Please send Senator Burr a thank you message and then, ask Senator Hagan to sign on to the letter. 

Thank Senator Burr: http://www.burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Ask Senator Hagan to sign onto the Casey-Burr Letter: http://www.hagan.senate.gov/contact/

State Update:

SB 98: Require Pulse Oximetry Newborn Screening –passed the Senate unanimously and has now been assigned to the House Health Committee.  We are making great progress and have had unanimous votes showing lawmaker support.   Now we just need to get one chamber to take up the others’ bill and then drive this on to the Governor!

SB 456: Designate Primary Stroke Centers –passed the Senate on Thursday unanimously!  Senator Pate did a brilliant job presenting the legislation on the Senate Floor.  Next, it will be read into the House and assigned to a House Committee.  More to come!

Tobacco Control Program Funding:  We have been continuing to work on this issue talking with top Senators involved with the budget process.  Now that the Governor has presented his budget and we have passed tax day, the Senate is focusing heavily on the state budget.  We expect that the Senate will introduce their budget by mid-May. 

Bills of Concern:  SB 612, SB 703, HB 683 - all have preemption provisions.  Specifically, SB 612 has a provision that would result in broad preemption; SB 703 rolls back on smoke-free law as it relates to outdoor spaces and community college campuses; and HB 683 has what is being called the anti-Bloomberg provision because it would prohibit ordinances which would regulate beverage cup sizes.   These bills could stop local communities from implementing policies to protect their citizens.  At this time we are assessing these bills and working closely with partners to determine next steps. 

Learn more about what preemption means:  http://publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/other-public-health-law/preemption-public-health.   

If you have questions, please contact me.  Thank you for your support.

Betsy Vetter
NC Director of Government Relations

Against the backdrop of Washington, DC’s famous cherry blossoms, 300 You’re the Cure advocates joined together in our nation’s capital in April to deliver a strong message to Congress: Invest in our health!  Here are just a few of the highlights of You’re the Cure on the Hill 2013 activities…

We rallied for medical research!  Thousands of advocates from the medical research community came together on April 8^th to make some noise about the need for Congress to prioritize our nation’s investment in research.  And You’re the Cure advocates were in on all of the action! 

Juddson Rupp from North Carolina and Amy Edmunds from South Carolina were two of the featured survivor-speakers that joined journalist Cokie Roberts, Representative Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), and others on stage to deliver the message and inspire the crowd. 

And what an active crowd it was!  You’re the Cure advocates joined in the cheers of “More Progress! More Hope!  More Life!”, as they held-up big red hearts with the names of over 6,000 of their fellow advocates from across the country who pledged their support for medical research funding. 

Check out some more great pictures from the Rally for Medical Research!

We turned Capitol Hill Red!  The enthusiasm from the rally spilled over into our day on Capitol Hill on April 9^th.  As heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers, researchers, and medical professionals, each advocate had an important story and perspective to share with their Members of Congress, as we asked lawmakers to restore funding for the National Institutes of Health and support the Million Hearts initiative.   

Dressed in red, advocates met with 252 congressional offices in the course of one day!  And their visits came at a critical time, with legislators determining their funding priorities for the coming year. 

See your fellow advocates in action with our nation’s decision-makers on Capitol Hill!

We honored our 2013 Advocates of the Year!  At the local, state, and federal level, You’re the Cure advocates across the country work year after year to advance public policies that help build healthier communities and healthier lives free of heart disease and stroke.  So, we were proud to recognize four of these outstanding individuals as our 2013 Advocates of the Year!  Join us in congratulating:

Dr. William Weintraub (PA): Science-Advocate of the Year

Lee Storrow (NC): Volunteer-Advocate of the Year

Yolanda Dickerson (NC): Survivor-Advocate of the Year

Tommy Watson (VT): Youth-Advocate of the Year

Watch this great video to learn about their amazing work!

(Please visit the site to view this video)

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following comment today on President Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2014 federal budget:

“While President Obama’s budget moves in the right direction by restoring the National Institutes of Health funding cut by the sequester, the administration’s proposal fails to fully account for medical research inflation and puts promising new research opportunities at risk. Over the past decade, the NIH has lost 20 percent of its purchasing power.

NIH-funded research is the best chance to find a cure for heart disease, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease that kill more than 800,000 Americans each year. Yet, stagnant federal support is holding back hope for the millions of Americans who suffer from these diseases.

The budget also includes an increase of $5 million for Million Hearts™, a national public-private initiative developed to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Although we are pleased that these investments to support heart disease and stroke prevention activities were proposed for 2014, we are disappointed that the administration failed to commit additional resources from the prevention trust fund specifically targeting the 37 million adult Americans with uncontrolled high blood pressure. These people are four times more likely to die of a stroke and three times more likely to die of heart disease.  

Historically, nonprofits try to step in when government funding slows down. But the administration’s proposal to cut the charitable tax deduction could threaten the ability of these organizations to fill gaps left by cuts in prevention, research and social services programs. We urge the administration to increase, rather than reduce, incentives in the tax code that promote charitable giving – particularly when federal budgets are constrained.

The American Heart Association appreciates that this proposed budget does not undermine Medicare’s fundamental guarantee of health and financial security to millions of elderly and disabled Americans. Yet we believe more can be done to improve the health care Medicare beneficiaries receive and to further extend the program’s financial health. Moving forward, we will evaluate the savings recommended by the administration to see how they measure up to these goals, and continue to oppose any effort to shift costs to our most vulnerable beneficiaries suffering from heart disease and stroke. In the meantime, we are pleased that the budget protects Medicaid and recognizes that it is a lean and efficient program that serves as a needed safety net for millions of the most vulnerable patients.

Finally, we commend the president for recommending a tobacco tax increase. Study after study has shown that the fastest way to encourage people to quit smoking is to raise the cost of tobacco products. A federal increase will be a strong incentive for current smokers to have their last cigarette and prevent other people from ever taking up this deadly habit.”

More than 300 American Heart Association volunteers came to Washington, D.C. today to urge Congress to restore federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to support a Million Hearts campaign to attack the growing problem of high blood pressure – public health enemy No. 2 behind tobacco.  

Heart disease and stroke survivors, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the country are meeting with their congressional representatives to ask them to allocate $32 billion for the NIH for 2014, to restore funding cut by the sequester and get NIH back on track.

The March 1 sequester slashed nearly $1.5 billion, or 5 percent, of the NIH budget. A cut of this magnitude will reduce the number of planned research grants by about 2,300, cost more than 20,000 jobs nationwide and shrink new economic activity by nearly $3 billion. A typical NIH grant supports about seven full-time or part-time jobs, most of them high-tech.  Every dollar that the NIH distributes through grants returns more than $2 in goods and services annually to a local community. 

“If the NIH cuts remain in place, they will damage our fragile economy and threaten our nation’s position as the global leader in medical research,” said American Heart Association President Donna Arnett, Ph.D., MSPH. “More importantly, medical research is vital to discovering new treatments and even cures for generations to come. We must not give up the fight to increase federal support for the NIH.” 

Advocates also asked Congress to fund a $35 million Million Hearts Initiative to tackle one of the nation’s most significant public health problems, high blood pressure. More than one in three adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but less than half have their condition under control. High blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for heart attack or stroke.

Visit the You're the Cure Facebook page for some great photos and stay tuned for further updates about the amazing advocates who made their voices heard on Capitol Hill. 

 Six Minnesota advocates have traveled to Washington D.C. to be a part of the 2013 You're the Cure on the Hill!  Below is a message from the group:

We attended an inspiring Rally for Medical Research this morning in support of restoring $32 million in NIH funding.  There were thousands of attendees representing nearly 200 health organizations.  Tomorrow we will lobby as a state delegation, visiting three of our members of Congress and both of our Senators.  We plan to get support from all five!  Stay tuned for more updates!  - The Minnesota YTC on the Hill delegation: AmandaJean, Mark, John, Bobby Z, Vicki and Barb

Roughly 300 advocates from across the country - 30 of them from GRA - are in Washington, DC today and tomorrow for the American Heart Association’s bi-annual Congressional Heart On the Hill lobby day event.  A new twist this year is the Rally for Medical Research where we will join with thousands of advocates from more than 200 patient groups and research institutions, to send a strong message to Congress that funding for the National Institutes of Health must be a national priority.  Tomorrow, AHA’s advocates will don their red attire and head to Capitol Hill for meetings with their members of Congress to advocate for research funding as well as funds to support blood pressure interventions through the Million Hearts initiative.

From Ohio, advocates include:

• Carla Bailey from Gahanna, OH is a heart disease survivor and a Circle of Red member; she will be accompanied by her teenage daughter Jasmine; Carla and Carolyn Francis are twin sisters.
• Elaine Bohman from Versailles, OH is a cardiac rehab nurse (Thanks to Beth Langefels for helping to recruit Elaine in one of our targeted legislative districts!)
• Carolyn Francis from Dublin, OH is a heart disease survivor and a Circle of Red member; she will be accompanied by her teenage son John.
• Lawrence Prochaka from Dayton, OH is a professor and researcher at Wright State University and an Ohio advocacy field representative.
• Dan and Fran Sack from Middletown, OH are constituents and friends of House Speaker John Boehner, and Dan is a heart attack survivor.
• Heather Vilvens from Wilmington, OH is executive director of the Buckeye Healthy Schools Alliance and an Ohio advocacy field representative.

 We'll be posting photos to Facebook to chronicle their experience. 

If you haven’t already done so, please click here to sign our “Many Hearts, One Voice for Medical Research” petition and watch your email inbox for other opportunities to support Congressional Heart on the Hill activities virtually.