Political Quotes

“I rise today in recognition of National Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiecstasia--HHT--Month to raise awareness of this public health threat and encourage greater prevention, diagnosis and treatment efforts. Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiecstasia, HHT, also referred to as Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome, is a complex genetic blood vessel disorder that affects approximately 70,000, or 1 in 5,000, Americans. It is characterized by irregular blood vessel growths, or telangiectases, in the nasal mucosa, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and skin of the face and hands, as well as artery-vein malformations--AVMs--in the major organs including the lungs, brain, and liver. If left misdiagnosed or untreated, HHT can result in considerable morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that 20 to 40 percent of debilitating and life-threatening complications and sudden death due to these 'vascular time bombs' are preventable. Twenty percent of those with HHT, regardless of age, suffer death or disability. HHT has been subject to underreporting for many years. Approximately 90 percent of the HHT population is not yet diagnosed and is at risk for sudden rupture of the blood vessels in major organs in the body, such as the brain and lungs, and other complications due to nosebleeds and gastrointestinal bleeding. It is my hope that efforts throughout the month of June will increase awareness of HHT and mitigate the preventable health threats posed by this disorder.”