SENIOR SENATE PROPOSAL NO. 13
INTRODUCED BY SENIOR SENATOR KIM-SELBY
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SP 13: STROKE EDUCATION.
UNDER EXISTING LAW, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONDUCTS EDUCATION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS FOR VARIOUS DISEASES AND CONDITIONS.
THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD IMPLEMENT A STROKE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT THE INCIDENCE OF STROKES IN CALIFORNIA.
VOTE: MAJORITY.
SP 13: RELATING TO STROKE EDUCATION
WHEREAS, STROKES ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ADULT LONG-TERM DISABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES. EACH YEAR ABOUT 795,000 PEOPLE SUFFER A STROKE WITH ABOUT 600,000 OF THESE STROKES BEING A FIRST ATTACK, AND 185,000 A RECURRENT ATTACK; AND
WHEREAS, STROKE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. OVER 143,579 PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR FROM STROKE IN THE UNITED STATES. STROKE KILLS MORE THAN 16,000 CALIFORNIANS EACH YEAR. IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, WITH A POPULATION OF 22,000 SENIORS, SIX PEOPLE SUFFER A STROKE PER DAY, FIVE OF THESE STROKES ARE PREVENTABLE, AND TWO PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY; AND
WHEREAS, NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF ALL STROKES OCCUR IN PEOPLE OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE. THE RISK OF HAVING A STROKE MORE THAN DOUBLES EACH DECADE AFTER 55 YEARS OF AGE; AND
WHEREAS, AMONG ADULTS 20 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, THE PREVALENCE OF STROKE IN 2005 WAS 6,500,000, WITH ABOUT 2,600,000 MALES AND 3,900,000 FEMALES SUFFERING A STROKE. ON AVERAGE EVERY 40 SECONDS SOMEONE IN THE UNITED STATES HAS A STROKE; AND
WHEREAS, STROKE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ESTIMATED $41 BILLION IN ANNUAL HEALTH CARE COSTS AND LOST PRODUCTIVITY; AND
WHEREAS, STROKE ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT ONE OF EVERY 17 DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2005, WITH 143,579 PEOPLE DYING OF A STROKE; AND
WHEREAS, EACH YEAR, ABOUT 55,000 MORE WOMEN THAN MEN HAVE A STROKE. MEN’S STROKE INCIDENCE RATES ARE GREATER THAN WOMEN’S AT YOUNGER AGES, BUT NOT AT OLDER AGES; AND
WHEREAS, BETWEEN 1995 AND 2005, THE STROKE DEATH RATE FELL 29.7 PERCENT AND THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STROKE DEATHS DECLINED 13.5 PERCENT; HOWEVER, STROKE DEATH RATES ARE HIGHER FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS THAN FOR WHITES, EVEN AT YOUNGER AGES; AND
WHEREAS, TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK WHICH SOMETIMES PRECEDES AN ISCHEMIC STROKE MAY ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 83 PERCENT OF ALL STROKES, BUT THE SYMPTOMS DISAPPEAR WITHIN FIVE TO 24 HOURS. THE RISK OF ISCHEMIC STROKE IN CURRENT SMOKERS IS ABOUT DOUBLE THAT OF NONSMOKERS AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR OTHER RISK FACTORS; AND
WHEREAS, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR FOR STROKE. A KEY FEATURE OF A STROKE IS THAT IT IS UNEXPECTED AND DEVELOPS SUDDENLY. UP TO 50 PERCENT OF ALL STROKES OCCUR IN PEOPLE WHO SHOW NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A PRIOR STROKE FACE A NINE TIMES GREATER RISK OF HAVING ANOTHER STROKE AND A TWO TIMES GREATER RISK OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK, COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION’S RISK; AND
WHEREAS, STROKES ARE PREVENTABLE IF ONE HAS AN APPRECIATION OF THE RISK FACTORS OF AGE, SEX, PRIOR STROKE, FAMILY HISTORY OF STROKES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, SMOKING, DIABETES MELLITUS, CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE, LACK OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, LACK OF A HEALTHY DIET, AND TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK; AND
WHEREAS, PEOPLE MUST BE EDUCATED WITH REGARD TO THE SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN STROKE ASSOCIATION, 74 PERCENT OF THE UNITED STATES POPULATION DOES NOT KNOW THE MOST COMMON WARNING SIGNS OF A STROKE. THESE WARNING SIGNS INCLUDE SUDDEN NUMBNESS OR WEAKNESS IN AN ARM, LEG, OR FACE ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE BODY, UNEXPECTED SEVERE HEADACHE WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE, SUDDEN CONFUSION, TROUBLE SPEAKING OR UNDERSTANDING, SUDDEN VISION PROBLEMS IN ONE OR BOTH EYES, UNEXPLAINED DIZZINESS, AND SUDDEN TROUBLE WALKING OR LOSS OF BALANCE OR COORDINATION; AND
WHEREAS, IF ANY STROKE SYMPTOMS APPEAR, THE PERSON OR HIS OR HER FAMILY SHOULD CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY AS THERE ARE MEDICINES AVAILABLE WITHIN THE CRUCIAL THREE HOUR WINDOW PERIOD AFTER A STROKE FOR THE TISSUE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR OR THE CRUCIAL NINE HOUR WINDOW PERIOD FOR DESMOTEPLASE; AND
WHEREAS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF AGING SHOULD COORDINATE EFFORTS TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS AND AREA AGENCIES ON AGING AS WELL AS TO SENIOR CENTERS AND SENIOR ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND OTHER SENIOR NETWORK STAKEHOLDERS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR SENATE AND THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2009 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT A STROKE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN BE ESTABLISHED TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF STROKE. THE STROKE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN SHALL CONSIST OF SEMINAR PROGRAMS IN VARIOUS FACILITIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, HOSPITALS, SENIOR CENTERS, SENIOR HOUSING ESTABLISHMENTS, MOBILE HOME PARKS, FAMILY COMPLEX HOUSING PROJECTS, AND BINGO PARLORS. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE PUBLIC AND PEOPLE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CAREGIVERS, HOSPITAL PERSONNEL, AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. THE PROGRAM SHALL ALSO INCLUDE SUCH CAMPAIGNING AS PROVIDING STROKE SYMPTOM FLYERS IN PUBLIC PLACES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CLUBS, HOTEL AND MOTEL GUEST ROOMS, RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES, CHURCHES, NEWS MEDIA, AND ALL SENIOR GROUP ORGANIZATIONS; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
RN 09 16664
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