SR 105 (LSB 5908XS (4) 86)

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 105

BY  SCHNEIDER

A Resolution to declare March 11, 2016, as Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Day.

   WHEREAS, Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) is a disease that causes abnormal cell growth of the arterial wall leading to areas of narrowing, beading, aneurysms, and tears of the arterial wall; and
   WHEREAS, although FMD was first diagnosed in 1938, until recently there has been very little progress in understanding the disease, there is no known cause or cure for the disease, and there are no set protocols to treat the disease; and
   WHEREAS, even though FMD has always been considered and is still classified as a rare disease, many researchers now believe FMD to be underdiagnosed with some data suggesting that 4 to 5 percent of the population may be affected by the disease; and
   WHEREAS, while men and children may also have FMD, 90 percent of the patients affected by FMD are women; and
   WHEREAS, although there are several different classifications of FMD, the two most common types are medial fibroplasia and intimal fibroplasia, with some patients presenting with both types of the disease, and different populations being diagnosed with different types of the disease; and
   WHEREAS, unlike the adult population, children tend to be diagnosed with intimal fibroplasia, which can be more aggressive; and
   WHEREAS, FMD may often go undetected since some patients with FMD present with symptoms common to other disorders such as hypertension, headaches, and dizziness; others present with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke, tearing of an artery, aneurysm, swooshing noise in the ear, and renal infarction; children may present with basic symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and abdominal pain; and others may be asymptomatic; and
   WHEREAS, those with FMD may have difficulty in obtaining an accurate and timely diagnosis with the common delay from onset of symptoms to diagnosis being five years, or may be misdiagnosed leading to severe consequences and disability; and
   WHEREAS, in addition to a lack of diagnosis or misdiagnosis, individuals and families affected by FMD often experience isolation, the lack of optimal treatment options, and inaccuracy of information about the disease which, prior to the release of the newest data, inaccurately indicated that 75 percent of FMD cases affected the renal arteries; and
   WHEREAS, while many rare diseases are relatively well-known, FMD is not well-known by the public or medical community resulting in patients and their families bearing a large share of the burden for educating others, including their own physicians, and raising funds for awareness and research; and
   WHEREAS, the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America (FMDSA) was founded on March 11, 2003, and, over the past 13 years, has been active and successful on many fronts including increasing public and physician awareness, providing patient support, engaging and working with researchers from around the world, and providing funding for the United States registry for FMD; and
   WHEREAS, there is still much to be accomplished to increase awareness and encourage research of the disease; and
   WHEREAS, the FMDSA is organizing a global observance of FMD, and during the month of March each year, patients, medical professionals, and researchers in various locations join together to focus attention on FMD as a public health issue; NOW THEREFORE,

   BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That March 11, 2016, be declared Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Day in the State of Iowa.