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. LSB 2542XS (2) 86 ad/nh