To designate September as Aneurysm Awareness Month in Louisiana.

       WHEREAS, an aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning of the wall of a weakened blood vessel that may develop slowly over a period of many years without symptoms; and

       WHEREAS, nearly ninety percent of ruptured aortic aneurysms are fatal, ranking in the top fifteen causes of all deaths in the United States and in the top ten causes of death for white males fifty-five years of age and older, and at least twenty percent of aneurysms have genetic connections; and

       WHEREAS, death by an abdominal aortic aneurysm, often referred to as a silent killer, can be prevented if discovered prior to rupture by an ultrasound of the abdomen, a method that is quick, inexpensive, noninvasive, and accurate; and

       WHEREAS, aneurysm research generated little funding in the past, due to the assumption that aneurysms were only the late, degenerative stages of hardening of the arteries, a concept that is now changing as a result of the link found between aneurysms and genetics; and

       WHEREAS, Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. is a Louisiana based nonprofit corporation dedicated to mobilizing people and resources to eradicate aneurysms and whose primary goals are to promote public awareness of aneurysms, to stimulate and fund genetic research, and to create and coordinate a support network for those affected or at risk and their families; and

       WHEREAS, Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. has a web site, www.aneurysm-help.org, which includes a "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) section and prominent researchers available to answer questions of a more specific nature; and

       WHEREAS, Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. aims to encourage volunteerism, as well as personal and corporate sponsorship, through tax-deductible donations to assist researchers in their quest to devise a blood test to pinpoint those most at risk as well as with other research projects regarding the eradication of aneurysms and to promote a "Family History of Aneurysms" category being added to all medical history intake forms; and

       WHEREAS, Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. will promote a free statewide ultrasound screening program to be offered to residents of Louisiana over fifty years of age and to residents over forty years of age with a family history of aortic aneurysms, beginning in the Baton Rouge area, and Aneurysm Outreach, Inc. requests that legislators assist in promoting free ultrasound screenings in their districts, encourage their constituents to participate in this opportunity, and personally take part in order to set a good example; and

       WHEREAS, Aneurysm Outreach, Inc.'s initiative in promoting an official Aneurysm Awareness Month can instill an awareness among citizens of Louisiana that early detection is crucial in saving lives,

       THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate September as Aneurysm Awareness Month in Louisiana.

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Aneurysm Outreach, Inc.