Heart for Women Act

Floor Speech

HEART FOR WOMEN ACT

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the HEART for Women Act (H.R. 1014) to help improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease in women, which often manifests itself differently in women than in men. It is critically important that we develop a better understanding of these differences and the reasons behind them, and spur the development and use of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies that are most effective for reducing the death rate for heart disease in women.

We have made some progress on this front. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) provides low-income, under-insured or uninsured middle-aged women with screening and knowledge to prevent cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease ranks as America's number-one killer and, with one in three female adults facing some form of cardiovascular disease, this program shows how prevention can make the difference between life or death.

The WISEWOMAN program has proven to be tremendously successful in reaching those women most at risk for heart disease and stroke. In fact, 3 out of 4 of the women screened by WISEWOMAN have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and women who have participated in WISEWOMAN are more likely to quit smoking and make other lifestyle changes to reduce their cardiovascular disease risk.

It is a good investment, too. A recent study found the WISEWOMAN program to be very cost-effective because of its success in reducing risk for chronic diseases. In this study, the program extended women's lives at a cost of $4,400 per estimated year of life saved, as opposed to a much higher cost of $26,000 per estimated year of life saved by heart bypass surgery.

Unfortunately, even these effective, proven programs reach only a fraction of the women who could actually take advantage of them. Through 2007, CDC funded 14 state health departments and two tribal organizations to offer WISEWOMAN programs. It makes common sense to bring this effective program to women in all 50 states. The HEART for Women Act would do just that.

The HEART for Women Act is co-sponsored by a majority of Members of Congress, including almost all of the women in the House, and has the support of the American Heart Association, the Society for Women's Health Research, WomenHeart, the Association of Black Cardiologists, and the American College of Cardiology.

I commend the Energy and Commerce committee for supporting this important bill and congratulate my colleague Congresswoman Capps for her leadership. This represents an important step forward in ensuring that women all across our country have the help they need to live the healthiest, most productive lives possible.

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