DeLauro Moves to Expand WISEWOMAN Program

Press Release

DeLauro Moves to Expand WISEWOMAN Program

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today reintroduced legislation to expand the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) program to all states.

WISEWOMAN is a demonstration project that is currently operated by the CDC in 15 states, including Connecticut . The program aims to provide low-income, under- or uninsured women with knowledge, skills and opportunities to improve their diet, physical activity and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent, delay and control cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Already, more than 26,000 women have been served through the program. The legislation would also expand services to include additional screening and preventive care services.

"Even though heart disease can largely be prevented, it is the number one killer of women - it kills 480,000 women every year. And the WISEWOMAN program takes critical steps to empower thousands of financially disadvantaged women with the knowledge and tools to decrease their risk for this preventable chronic disease and protect their health," said DeLauro. "By expanding this program to all 50 states, just consider how many more women will have access to preventive health services that help women live healthier and stronger lives."

Since 2000, WISEWOMAN has identified over 5,783 cases of previously undiagnosed hypertension, 6,286 cases of undiagnosed high cholesterol, and more than 800 cases of undiagnosed diabetes. Additionally, smoking quit line referrals and smoking cessation interventions offered through WISEWOMAN programs have contributed to a 7.5% decrease in smoking among participants.

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