‘Getting it done for Carol Barr.’ Rep. Andy Barr’s heart research bill clears Congress.
Rep. Andy Barr’s legislation that invests in research of a heart condition that took the life of his wife has cleared Congress and will head to President Joe Biden to become law.
On Monday, the U.S. House gave final passage to The CAROL Act, which stands for Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy, providing $28 million to expand research on valvular heart disease and its treatment. The bill cleared the U.S. Senate unanimously last week.
“Thousands of Americans, predominately young women, lose their lives to mitral valve prolapse and other valvular heart diseases each year. The CAROL Act invests in the innovative research that is necessary to put high risk patients on a path to living long and healthy lives,” said Rep. Barr in a statement. “I can’t think of a better way to honor Carol Barr, whose selflessness and service to her community and country will be furthered through the law that will bear her name.”
Carol Leavell Barr died in June of 2020 from mitral valve prolapse, when flaps of the heart’s valve did not close smoothly. The couple had been married since 2008 and have two young daughters.
Mitral valve prolapse is considered an underlying heart condition that causes death in .2% of cases. More than 8 million Americans suffer from valvular heart disease. Each year, approximately 25,000 Americans lose their lives to valvular heart disease, which occurs when one of a patient’s heart valves becomes damaged or diseased.
“Carol used to have a saying, ‘Just get it done,’” said Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican Whip. “Today, the House of Representatives is getting it done for Carol Barr and the tens of thousands of women who suffer from valvular heart disease.”
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona championed the bill in the Senate.
The Carol Act is a grant program which will be administered through the National Institutes of Health. It will coordinate with the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to conduct research on valvular heart disase and attempt to identify those who are highest risk of cardiac arrest.
Advocates say the research is necessary to develop risk and screening criteria to better inform early intervention and treatment plans.
“The CAROL Act will help more people get diagnosed and treated for the disease,” said Celina Gorre, CEO of WomenHeart. “This is especially important for women, who are more likely to be unaware that they have the condition and to go without treatment.”
