U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced the Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy (CAROL) Act advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The full Senate must now consider and pass the bill.
Last year, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr introduced this legislation in the House to honor the legacy of his wife, Carol Leavell Barr, who passed away tragically from sudden cardiac death brought on by mitral valve prolapse, an underlying heart condition that causes death in .2% of cases. Senators McConnell and Sinema introduced the Senate companion legislation to Congressman Barr’s House legislation.
Each year, approximately 25,000 Americans lose their lives to valvular heart disease, which occurs when one of a patient’s heart valves becomes damaged or diseased. More than 8 million Americans suffer from valvular heart disease and face the threat of sudden and potentially fatal cardiac arrest.
The CAROL Act supports research and public awareness of valvular heart disease through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This legislation is supported by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), and WomenHeart.
