[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 20 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1406-S1407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HEART FOR WOMEN ACT

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I wish to take a few moments to speak 
very briefly about heart disease. Many people might not know but 
February is American Heart Month, and heart disease, as we certainly 
know, is the Nation's leading cause of death.
  Many women believe heart disease is a man's disease. Unfortunately, 
there are many women in this country who do not view this as a serious 
health threat. Yet every year since 1984, cardiovascular disease has 
claimed the lives of more women than men. In fact, cardiovascular 
disease death rates have declined in men since 1979, which is great 
news, but the death rate for women during that same period has actually 
increased. The numbers are disturbing.
  Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than 480,000 women 
per year. That is nearly a death a minute among females and nearly 12 
times as many lives as claimed by breast cancer. One in four females 
has some form of cardiovascular disease. Again, these are statistics 
many of us would find alarming, certainly, but also find that it is new 
information, something we didn't know.
  I am pleased to join with my colleague from Michigan, Senator 
Stabenow, to introduce important legislation we have entitled the HEART 
For Women Act, or Heart Disease Education, Analysis, and Research, and 
Treatment For Women Act. This important bill improves the prevention, 
diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women.
  In Alaska, we have some very troubling statistics as they relate to 
heart disease. In Alaska, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause 
of death, totaling nearly 800 deaths per year. Women in Alaska have 
higher death rates from stroke than do women nationally. Mortality 
amongst Native Alaskan women is dramatically on the rise, whereas it is 
appearing to decline among Caucasian women in the lower 48. So these 
statistics, again, should cause us concern.
  Despite being the No. 1 killer, many women and their health care 
providers do not know the biggest health care threat to women is heart 
disease. In fact, a recent survey found that 45 percent of women still 
do not know heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.
  Perhaps even more troubling is the lack of awareness amongst our 
health care providers. According to the American Heart Association 
figures, less than one in five physicians recognize more women suffer 
from heart disease than men. Only 8 percent of primary care 
physicians--and even more astounding--only 17 percent of cardiologists 
recognize that more women die of heart disease than men. Additionally, 
studies show women are less likely to receive aggressive treatment 
because heart disease often manifests itself differently in women than 
in men.
  This is why this HEART Act is so important. Our bill takes a three-
pronged approach to reducing heart disease death rates for women 
through education, research, and screening.
  First, the bill would authorize the Department of Health and Human 
Services to educate health care professionals and older women about the 
unique aspects of care and prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of 
women with heart disease and stroke.

[[Page S1407]]

  Second, the bill would require disclosure of gender-specific health 
information that is already being reported to the Federal Government. 
We already have many agencies that are collecting the information based 
on gender, but they don't disseminate or analyze the gender 
differences. This bill would release that information so it could be 
studied and important health trends in women could be detected.
  Lastly, the bill would authorize the expansion of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention's WISEWOMAN program. WISEWOMAN is the 
acronym for the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation For Women 
Across the Nation program. The WISEWOMAN program provides free heart 
disease and stroke screening to low-income, uninsured women. But the 
program currently is limited to 14 States. In the State of Alaska, we 
are fortunate to have two WISEWOMAN program sites, and these programs 
screen for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose in Native 
Alaskan women, and they have been providing invaluable counseling on 
diet and exercise. One program in Alaska has successfully screened 
1,437 Native Alaskan women and has provided them with culturally 
appropriate intervention programs that have truly produced lifesaving 
results.
  Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases cost 
Americans more than any other disease--an estimated $403 billion in 
2006, including more than $250 billion in direct medical costs. We as a 
Nation can control these costs. Prevention through early detection is 
the most cost-effective way to combat the disease.
  A few days ago we celebrated Valentine's Day, and we saw images of 
hearts then and we are still seeing them around now. We shouldn't 
forget that the heart is more than a symbol--it is a vital organ that 
can't be taken for granted. Coronary disease can be treated 
effectively, and sometimes even prevented. It does not have to be the 
No. 1 cause of death in women, and that is why I encourage my 
colleagues to support the HEART for Women Act.

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