Fellow Illinoisans,
Heart-related illnesses are the leading cause of death in America. Every year, 610,000 Americas die from heart disease that is one in every four deaths. Nearly 86 million adults in the United States live with some form of cardiovascular disease. Tragically, cardiovascular disease doesn’t just affect adults. Every 15 minutes in America, a baby is born with a congenital heart defect (CHD).
As co-chair of the Senate National Institutes of Health (NIH) Caucus, and co-chair of the bi-cameral Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, I am committed to combatting heart-related illnesses like heart disease and CHD.
Thankfully, there is hope for patients and families affected by heart-related illnesses across the country. Last year, the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 provided nearly $42 billion in funding to support research at the NIH, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. This increase in funding will support leading research efforts at these agencies on the incidence, causes, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
This incredible investment cannot be a one-time increase. That’s why I’ve introduced a bill, the America Cures Act, to make a sustained, steady investment in top biomedical research agencies. By funding agencies like the NIH and the CDC, we can continue to find new breakthroughs in research that help us understand the risk factors and causes of these diseases, develop new drugs and therapies to help those who are suffering, and improve standards of care for those living with and managing these diseases.
Sincerely,
Dick Durbin
United States Senator
