[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 23, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1339-H1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING HEART DISEASE AMONG WOMEN

  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 522) expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives that there is a critical need to increase awareness 
and education about heart disease and the risk factors of heart disease 
among women.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 522

       Whereas heart disease is the number one killer of American 
     women;
       Whereas heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular 
     diseases claim the lives of more than half a million women 
     each year;
       Whereas heart disease takes the lives of more women than 
     men;
       Whereas according to a recent American Heart Association 
     survey, only 13 percent of women consider heart disease their 
     greatest health threat;
       Whereas one in three women dies of heart disease;
       Whereas heart disease kills almost twice as many women as 
     all forms of cancer;
       Whereas African-Americans are at greater risk for heart 
     disease and stroke than Caucasians, affecting African-
     American females at a rate of 39.6 percent compared to 23.8 
     percent in Caucasian females;
       Whereas heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of 
     death for Hispanics, and responsible for 33 percent of deaths 
     in Hispanic females;
       Whereas heart disease risk factors include family history, 
     smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight/
     obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes; and
       Whereas women are often unaware of the risk and receive 
     fewer preventive services than recommended: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that there is a critical need to increase 
     awareness and education about heart disease and the risk 
     factors for heart disease among women, and the House of 
     Representatives--
       (1) commends First Lady Laura Bush and the National Heart, 
     Lung, and Blood Institute in their vital campaign to raise 
     public awareness that heart disease is the number one killer 
     of American women;
       (2) believes that heart disease will remain the number one 
     killer of American women unless we as a society dramatically 
     improve education, preventative care, research, diagnostic 
     capabilities, and treatments; and
       (3) recognizes that the more women become cognizant of the 
     scourge of heart disease and how to prevent it, the more 
     likely they can make sound lifestyle changes to help reduce 
     their chances of getting heart disease.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 522.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 522 to express the 
sense of the House of Representatives that there is a critical need to 
increase awareness and education about heart disease and the risk 
factors for heart disease among women.
  Heart disease is the number one killer of women, killing almost twice 
as many as all forms of cancer. Yet according to a recent survey 
conducted by the American Heart Association, only 13 percent of women 
consider heart disease their greatest health risk. Lack of knowledge 
and awareness of symptoms of heart disease is dangerous and can be 
easily addressed.
  This resolution goes right to this point. It encourages all women to 
recognize the dangers of this disease and take steps to make healthy 
choices that can reduce the risk of heart disease in the first place. 
Men and women alike are far more likely to make sound life-style 
changes when they are educated about the risks of heart disease.
  This resolution also commends First Lady Laura Bush and the Heart, 
Lung and Blood Institute for the fantastic work they have done in this 
area to raise public awareness about this disease. The First Lady and 
the NIH have taken a creative approach with this public education 
campaign using a variety of different media to get the word out about 
heart disease. I applaud the work that they have done to heighten 
awareness of this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation.

[[Page H1340]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 522 and in 
solidarity with all those who are troubled by the fact that heart 
disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disease claim the lives of 
more than half a million women each year.
  A report released by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention 
indicates that, despite major progress in reducing death rates from 
heart disease and stroke, these conditions contribute substantially to 
the Nation's health care crisis. According to the CDC, the epidemic of 
heart disease and stroke can be expected to continue with an increasing 
burden and widening disparities unless unprecedented public efforts are 
mounted to arrest and reverse it. With statistics showing that heart 
disease currently takes the lives of more women than men, and one in 
three women die of heart disease, a challenge has been placed at the 
feet of our public health and health care systems.
  It is imperative that all that can be done is indeed done to ensure 
that our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are made aware of the 
risk of heart disease and they receive the quality of care needed to 
live long, healthy lives.
  I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for bringing this 
problem to our attention because this is a worthwhile cause.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Snyder), the primary sponsor of this resolution.
  Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Speaker, I am a middle-aged man; and as a man and as 
a family doctor, I have known for years that my number one health risk 
is cardiovascular disease. Blood vessel disease, heart disease and 
strokes, that is what we mean by cardiovascular disease. But, in fact, 
heart disease takes the lives of more women than men. A recent American 
Heart Association survey showed that only 13 percent of American women 
realize that cardiovascular disease, heart disease and strokes is their 
number one health threat.
  The reality is that nearly 500,000 American women die each year from 
cardiovascular disease; and, in fact, more women die of cardiovascular 
disease, heart disease and stroke, than the next seven causes of death, 
including cancer. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die 
from heart disease and stroke than from all forms of cancers, including 
breast cancer.
  I have a picture of several of our friends and colleagues from on the 
Hill, staffers that work for various folks. If you are a young woman, 
as Sarah is on my staff, over your lifetime, her number one risk for 
death is from heart disease and stroke. If you are a middle-aged women, 
your number one cause of death is heart disease and stroke. If you are 
an African American woman, as Stacie is, your number one cause of death 
is heart disease and stroke. And, in fact, more African American women 
by percentage die of heart disease and stroke than Caucasian. Again, if 
you are a young woman, over your lifetime, your number one cause of 
death is heart disease and stroke. If you are Hispanic, your number one 
cause of death over your lifetime is heart disease and stroke.
  So what do you do about this? We spend a lot of time on this House 
floor talking and worrying about health policy. We talk about the 
insured and how do we take care of our men and women in uniform and 
their health care needs, what to do about the Veterans Administration 
and meeting the needs of veterans; but the reality is for most of us, a 
lot of what we can do in our health, we control.
  So you look at the risk factors. Women smoke too much. Women are like 
men, they smoke too much, they are too inactive, do not pay enough 
attention to their blood pressure and diet; and they do not do a good 
enough job of diagnosing and controlling diabetes. Those are the main 
risk factors for heart disease.
  What this resolution is about, it does not do anything. This is a 
sense of the House. This does not change law. What it does is give us a 
chance as Members to talk to women and Americans about this very real 
risk. First Lady Laura Bush has been doing that. The National Heart, 
Lung and Blood Institute has been doing that. What we can now do with 
this resolution is educate our constituents back home, women, that 
their number one health threat is heart disease and stroke.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Bilirakis) 
and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns), the ranking member, for 
bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Mr. Bordallo), who has been active on these issues for a number 
of years and has been a strong voice in the House of Representatives.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Towns) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 522, which 
is an important measure outlining the need for more awareness and 
education about heart disease, particularly as it affects women. I 
commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) for his initiative and 
leadership on this important women's health issue.
  Like the country as a whole, heart disease is the leading cause of 
death on my island of Guam. However, heart disease is increasingly 
becoming an issue for island women, as the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Snyder) just pointed out with his statistics among minorities.

                              {time}  1500

  In fact, a recent Centers for Disease Control study indicates that 
heart disease is responsible for 214 deaths per 100,000 women on Guam. 
This is a staggering rate, and only through greater awareness and 
education can we begin to confront this problem.
  One of the primary risk factors leading to heart disease in women is 
diabetes. Studies show that Guam's death rate from diabetes is five 
times higher than in the mainland. While some diabetes cases can be 
attributed largely to genetics, type 2 diabetes can be prevented by a 
combination of early detection and life-style changes.
  Other life-style changes that women can make that will help reduce 
the risk of developing heart disease include paying close attention to 
blood pressure and cholesterol levels, preventing obesity and reviewing 
family history. Abstaining from smoking and increasing physical 
activity have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
  It is very important that we, as leaders, work hard to educate women 
that heart disease is not just a health issue for men and that there 
are many proven life-style changes that women can make to help prevent 
heart disease. Not only is it important that we as Members of Congress 
stress the importance of maintaining a healthy life-style to prevent 
heart disease, but we must continue to support funding to medical 
researchers and professionals that study these diseases and teachers 
and public health officials that disseminate such information to women 
at high risk. Additionally, as studies continue to show, minorities 
tend to be at greater risk of developing heart disease. We must 
continue to support studies and uncover the reasons for higher risk in 
Pacific Islanders and other minorities, and we must provide the 
necessary resources to ensure parity with regard to education and 
health care access to high-risk communities.
  I congratulate again the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) for his 
hard work on the issue of heart disease among women, and I urge this 
Congress to not only support House Resolution 522, but to follow 
through with decisive action.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  First of all, I would like to congratulate the gentleman from 
Arkansas for moving this resolution forward. Some people say, well, 
it's not going to do anything, but I think it does several things.
  Number one, I think it makes us focus on the fact that there is a 
very serious problem that needs to be addressed, and I think that this 
resolution does that. I think it calls our attention to the fact that 
there are some serious problems and that we need to address them, and 
that in order to address them, that we are probably going to need some 
additional resources in order to do so.
  This resolution indicates the fact that it is something that we 
cannot ignore. We must address the issue and we must address it now.

[[Page H1341]]

  I would just like to commend him again for the outstanding job that 
he has done in bringing this matter to our attention.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas, as well, for bringing 
this to the people of America's attention. It is an incredibly 
important health risk for women that has gone unnoted for far too long. 
I thank the gentleman for bringing this important piece of legislation 
to the forefront and for getting that message out. I thank the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) for his cooperation today in 
reaching across the aisle, really on two pieces of legislation today 
that will have a positive impact on the health of Americans around the 
country.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House 
Resolution 522, expressing the sense of the House that there is a 
critical need to increase awareness and education about heart disease 
and the risk factors of heart disease among women. I am proud to be a 
cosponsor of this resolution.
  Heart disease is no longer considered a disease that affects just 
men. In the past, women usually received less aggressive treatment for 
heart disease and were not referred for diagnostic tests as often. As a 
result, when many women were finally diagnosed with heart disease, they 
usually had more advanced disease and their prognosis was poorer. We 
now know that cardiovascular diseases affect more women than men and 
are responsible for more than 40 percent of all deaths in American 
women.
  The problem is that most women still don't know that they are 
vulnerable. Despite the fact that heart disease kills almost twice as 
many women as all forms of cancer, only 13 percent of women consider 
heart disease their greatest health threat. Even when cardiovascular 
disease strikes, many women and even their physicians do not recognize 
it. For example, Dr. Susan Wilansky, a Texas Heart Institute 
cardiologist at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, stated: ``Many women 
don't exhibit the traditional symptoms of heart disease. Some 
experience just shortness of breath, extreme fatigue upon exertion, 
or pain in the jaw or elbow. Women who suspect they are experiencing 
symptoms of heart disease should be sure to take them seriously.''

  We need to help get the word out, and this resolution will help. We 
must especially concentrate on minority and disadvantaged communities 
who, too often, are at highest risk. African-Americans, are at greater 
risk for heart disease and stroke than Caucasians, affecting African-
American females at a rate of 39.6 percent compared to 23.8 percent in 
Caucasian females. Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of 
death for Hispanics, and responsible for 33 percent of deaths in 
Hispanic females.
  I commend the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and First 
Lady Laura Bush for their vital work to raise public awareness that 
heart disease is the number one killer of American women. I am glad to 
see that Congress is now recognizing the problem. I hope that we will 
see this same level of commitment in the budget and appropriations 
process later this year. It is time to take this problem head-on.
  I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 522.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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