I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3001
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for expanding, intensify-
ing, and coordinating activities of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute with respect to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular
diseases in women.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 29, 1996
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. FRAZER, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Ms. NORTON, Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr. CONYERS, Mr.
DELLUMS, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE
of Texas, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. PELOSI, Mrs.
MALONEY, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. FROST, Mrs. CLAY-
TON, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. BROWN of Flor-
ida, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms.
MCKINNEY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, and Mr. FARR of California) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
expanding, intensifying, and coordinating activities of the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with respect
to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
in women.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Cardio-
vascular Diseases Research and Prevention Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows with respect to women
in the United States:
(1) Heart attack, stroke, and other cardio-
vascular diseases are the leading causes of death in
women.
(2) Heart attacks and strokes are leading
causes of disability in women.
(3) Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of
more women each year than does cancer. Each year
more than 479,000 females die of cardiovascular dis-
eases, while approximately 246,000 females die of
cancer. Heart attack kills more than 5 times as
many females as breast cancer. Stroke kills twice as
many females as breast cancer.
(4) One in 5 females has some form of cardio-
vascular disease. Of females under age 65, each year
more than 20,000 die of heart attacks. In the case
of African-American women, from ages 35 to 74 the
death rate from heart attacks is approximately twice
that of white women and 3 times that of women of
other races.
(5) Each year since 1984, cardiovascular dis-
eases have claimed the lives of more females than
males. In 1992, of the number of individuals who
died of such diseases, 52 percent were females and
48 percent were males.
(6) The clinical course of cardiovascular dis-
eases is different in women than in men, and cur-
rent diagnostic capabilities are less accurate in
women than in men. Once a woman develops a car-
diovascular disease, she is more likely than a man to
have continuing health problems, and she is more
likely to die.
(7) Of women who have had a heart attack, ap-
proximately 44 percent die within 1 year of the at-
tack. Of men who have had such an attack, 27 per-
cent die within 1 year. At older ages, women who
have had a heart attack are twice as likely as men
to die from the attack within a few weeks. Women
are more likely than men to have a stroke during the
first 6 years following a heart attack. More than 60
percent of women who suffer a stroke die within 8
years. Long-term survivorship of stroke is better in
women than in men. Of individuals who die from a
stroke, each year approximately 61 percent are fe-
males. In 1992, 87,124 females died from strokes.
Women have unrecognized heart attacks more fre-
quently than men. Of women who died suddenly
from heart attack, 63 percent had no previous evi-
dence of disease.
(8) More than half of the annual health care
costs that are related to cardiovascular diseases are
attributable to the occurrence of the diseases in
women, each year costing this nation hundreds of
billions of dollars in health care costs and lost pro-
ductivity.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES
REGARDING HEART ATTACK, STROKE AND
OTHER 
CARDIOVASCULAR 
DISEASES 
IN
WOMEN.
Subpart 2 of part C of title IV of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285b et seq.) is amended by insert-
ing after section 424 the following section:
‘‘HEART ATTACK, STROKE, AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES IN WOMEN
‘‘SEC. 424A. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the
Institute shall expand, intensify, and coordinate research
and related activities of the Institute with respect to heart
attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in
women.
‘‘(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTES.—
The Director of the Institute shall coordinate activities
under subsection (a) with similar activities conducted by
the other national research institutes and agencies of the
National Institutes of Health to the extent that such Insti-
tutes and agencies have responsibilities that are related
to heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
in women.
‘‘(c) CERTAIN PROGRAMS.—In carrying out sub-
section (a), the Director of the Institute shall conduct or
support research to expand the understanding of the
causes of, and to develop methods for preventing, cardio-
vascular diseases in women. Activities under such sub-
section shall include conducting and supporting the follow-
ing:
‘‘(1) Research to determine the reasons under-
lying the prevalence of heart attack, stroke, and
other cardiovascular diseases in women, including
African-American women and other women who are
members of racial or ethnic minority groups.
‘‘(2) Basic research concerning the etiology and
causes of cardiovascular diseases in women.
‘‘(3) Epidemiological studies to address the fre-
quency and natural history of such diseases and the
differences among men and women, and among ra-
cial and ethnic groups, with respect to such diseases.
‘‘(4) The development of safe, efficient, and
cost-effective diagnostic approaches to evaluating
women with suspected ischemic heart disease.
‘‘(5) Clinical research for the development and
evaluation of new treatments for women, including
rehabilitation.
‘‘(6) Studies to gain a better understanding of
methods of preventing cardiovascular diseases in
women, including applications of effective methods
for the control of blood pressure, lipids, and obesity.
‘‘(7) Information and education programs for
patients and health care providers on risk factors as-
sociated with heart attack, stroke, and other cardio-
vascular diseases in women, and on the importance
of the prevention or control of such risk factors and
timely referral with appropriate diagnosis and treat-
ment. Such programs shall include information and
education on health-related behaviors that can im-
prove such important risk factors as smoking, obe-
sity, high blood cholesterol, and lack of exercise.
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized
to be appropriated $140,000,000 for fiscal year 1997, and
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years
1998 and 1999. The authorization of appropriations es-
tablished in the preceding sentence is in addition to any
other authorization of appropriation that is available for
such purpose.’’.
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