SR0465 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0465 LRB101 12691 ALS 61363 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every four deaths each year is due to heart disease; and

WHEREAS, Risk factors for heart disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, excess body fat, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking; and

WHEREAS, According to National Vital Statistics Data, South Asian American communities in the United States have four times the risk of heart disease than the general population and a much greater chance of having a heart attack before age 50; and

WHEREAS, In addition, diabetes is one of the most serious driving forces for heart disease; South Asian Americans in the United States have among the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes in the nation; and

WHEREAS, The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) multi-ethnic study showed a 26 percent prevalence of diabetes among South Asian Americans, compared to six percent among Caucasians, 18 percent among African Americans, 17 percent among Latinos, and 13 percent among Chinese -Americans; and

WHEREAS, In spite of a diet consisting of lentils, vegetables, grains, and spices, the suboptimal nutritional elements of refined carbohydrates, refined fats, salt, and sugar negate any nutritional advantage gained through a traditional South Asian diet; and

WHEREAS, Early intervention and treatment through awareness campaigns, nutritional education, and instruction on physical activity can greatly reduce the burden of diabetes, the risk of heart disease, decreased quality of life, and untimely death; and

WHEREAS, Successful efforts to prevent and combat heart disease in the South Asian American population of the United States can serve as a model for the general population; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in an effort to reduce the high risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke for the South Asian American community in our State, we declare May 31, 2019 as South Asian American Health Awareness Day.