[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICAN HEART MONTH/WOMEN & HEART ACT

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues that February is 
American Heart Month. Throughout this month, we recognize the millions 
of Americans struggling with heart disease and recommit ourselves to 
helping them. And we acknowledge the efforts of organizations like the 
American Heart Association, which help all of us prevent and treat 
heart disease.
  What is not well enough known is that heart disease, stroke, and 
other cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of women in the 
United States. Each year, 480,000 women die from heart disease. That is 
one every minute.
  In addition to experiencing classic chest pain, women often have a 
greater tendency to exhibit atypical symptoms of heart attack, such as 
difficulty breathing, nausea and unexplained fatigue. So they are often 
misdiagnosed.
  Yesterday, Representative Cubin and I introduced the Women & HEART 
Disease Act. This legislation will increase awareness, education, data 
collection, and the detection of heart disease in women so that we can 
improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of women with 
cardiovascular disease.
  I urge each of my colleagues to support this bill and other efforts 
to address the costly scourge of this disease.

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