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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mike Hanna |
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Hanna resolution designates awareness day for heart disorder
HARRISBURG, Feb. 4 – State Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Clinton/Centre, chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said the House last week unanimously adopted his resolution designating Feb. 1, 2010 as Peripartum Cardiomyopothy Awareness Day in Pennsylvania.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder in which a weakened heart is diagnosed in a pregnant woman within the final month of her pregnancy or within five months after delivery. Hanna said this disorder complicates one in every 1,300-4,000 deliveries each year.
"It is my goal to bring attention to this disorder, which has a death rate as high as 25 to 50 percent," Hanna said. "I hope that with increased awareness and research, we can make peripartum cardiomyopathy less of a threat to pregnant women."
According to the National Institutes of Health, the cause of peripartum cardiomyopathy is unknown. Currently, researchers are investigating cardiac viruses, immune system disorders and genetics as possible contributors to the development of the disorder.
Hanna said it is important to continue research, including recent effective treatments that have progressively improved both survival and recovery without the need for a heart transplant, giving women improved heart function and the ability to live a full life.