Senate Resolution 22 - Introduced
PAG LIN
SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
BY SCHNEIDER
1 1 A Resolution recognizing March as Fibromuscular
1 2 Dysplasia Awareness Month in Iowa.
1 3 WHEREAS, fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a disease
1 4 that causes abnormal cell growth of the arterial wall
1 5 and can lead to areas of narrowing, beading, aneurysms,
1 6 and dissections of the arterial wall; and
1 7 WHEREAS, until recently there has been very little
1 8 progress in understanding this disease and there are no
1 9 set protocols to treat the disease; and
1 10 WHEREAS, FMD has always been considered and is still
1 11 classified as a rare disease, with many researchers now
1 12 believing that FMD is an underdiagnosed disease; and
1 13 WHEREAS, some data suggests 4 to 5 percent of the
1 14 population is affected by the disease; and
1 15 WHEREAS, 90 percent of the patients affected by FMD
1 16 are women, but men and children can also develop the
1 17 disease; and
1 18 WHEREAS, there are different classifications of FMD,
1 19 with the two most common types being medial fibroplasia
1 20 and intimal fibroplasia; and
1 21 WHEREAS, unlike adults, children tend to be
1 22 diagnosed with intimal fibroplasia, which can be more
1 23 aggressive; and
1 24 WHEREAS, individuals and families affected by FMD
1 25 often experience problems such as a sense of isolation,
1 26 difficulty in obtaining an accurate and timely
1 27 diagnosis, and less than optimal treatment options; and
1 28 WHEREAS, unlike many rare diseases that are
2 1 relatively well known, FMD is not well known by the
2 2 public or the medical community and patients and their
2 3 families bear a large share of the burden for educating
2 4 the public and their own physicians and raising funds
2 5 for awareness and research; and
2 6 WHEREAS, the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of
2 7 America (FMDSA) was founded in March 2003, and has been
2 8 active and successful with many programs including
2 9 public and physician awareness, patient support, and
2 10 engaging and working with researchers from around the
2 11 world; and
2 12 WHEREAS, FMDSA is funding the United States Registry
2 13 for Fibromuscular Dysplasia; and
2 14 WHEREAS, recent data has shown the inaccuracy of
2 15 the belief that 75 percent of FMD cases affect renal
2 16 arteries and more recent data has shown it is very
2 17 common to have a five=year delay from the onset of
2 18 symptoms to a diagnosis; and
2 19 WHEREAS, greater awareness and research of the
2 20 disease is still needed as FMD patients present with
2 21 the same symptoms as much of the general population
2 22 such as hypertension, headaches, dizziness, stroke,
2 23 dissection of an artery, aneurysm, swooshing noise in
2 24 the ear, and renal infarction, and children can present
2 25 with basic symptoms such as high blood pressure,
2 26 headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and abdominal pain; and
2 27 WHEREAS, the misdiagnosis of FMD can lead to severe
2 28 consequences and disability; and
2 29 WHEREAS, FMDSA is organizing a global observance
2 30 of fibromuscular dysplasia during the month of March
3 1 each year when patients, medical professionals, and
3 2 researchers shall join together to focus attention on
3 3 fibromuscular dysplasia as a public health issue; NOW
3 4 THEREFORE,
3 5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
3 6 recognizes the month of March as Fibromuscular
3 7 Dysplasia Awareness Month and invites the citizens
3 8 of Iowa to educate themselves and others with regard
3 9 to the diagnosis, treatment, and support of persons
3 10 affected by fibromuscular dysplasia.
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