AL HJR393

Urges the Alabama Department of Public Health to increase public awareness of the risks posed by nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and stroke, as well as the availability of treatment options.

NVAF accounts for approximately 95 percent of atrial fibrillation cases and affects an estimated 5.8 million people in the U.S., with individuals having five times greater risk of stroke.

About 15 percent of strokes are due to NVAF, and stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., accounting for 1 in every 19 deaths in 2009.

As of 2005, NVAF alone cost an estimated $6.65 billion per year, with nearly 75 percent of direct and indirect costs associated with hospitalization.

Increased community awareness of NVAF can improve the likelihood that people with the condition will seek necessary treatment before suffering from devastating consequences.