Legislation designed to boost research for valvular heart disease has been unanimously passed by the House of Representatives, drawing praise from both cardiologists and lawmakers.
The Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy (CAROL) Act was introduced by U.S. Rep. Andy Barr. The bill was named after Barr’s wife, Eleanor “Carol” Leavell Barr, who died in 2020 from sudden cardiac death. She was 39 years old.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is one of several industry organizations that has backed the CAROL Act since it was first introduced.
“More than 5 million Americans are diagnosed with valvular heart disease each year, and this vital legislation helps spread awareness on a critical area of cardiovascular health,” Samuel O. Jones IV, MD, chair of the ACC Health Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “This legislation will make needed impacts on research and education to improve care for our patients.”
“This bill delivers critical resources to close the gaps in understanding about valvular heart disease and save lives,” Barr said in a separate statement. “I am grateful to the American Heart Association, WomenHeart, the ACC and so many of my colleagues who supported this bill from the start.”
“Thank you, Congressman Barr, for introducing this life-saving legislation that will expand research on valvular heart disease and its treatment,” added U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise. “No family member should lose a loved one to this horrible disease, and the CAROL Act brings us towards this future.”
It is now the Senate’s turn to consider this popular legislation. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Kyrsten Sinema have introduced a companion bill.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.