IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 220
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with regard to the
heart disease in women.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 23, 1999
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD (for herself, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr.
BONIOR, Mr. COYNE, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. FROST, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms.
NORTON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. KELLY, Ms. KILPATRICK,
Mr. MCNULTY, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO,
Mr. SHOWS, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, and Mrs. JONES of Ohio)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Commerce
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with
regard to the heart disease in women.
Whereas heart disease is the number one cause of death in
American women;
Whereas more than 500,000 women in the United States die
from heart disease each year;
Whereas women often have other diseases such as arthritis
or osteoporosis that can mask heart attack symptoms
and can delay medical care;
Whereas the 1998 National Vital Statistics Report stated
that 328,625 white females and 40,306 black females ex-
•HRES 220 IH
perienced heart disease during that year in the United
States;
Whereas high cholesterol and high blood pressure are two of
the risk factors that can lead to heart disease;
Whereas 50.5 percent of white women, 41.5 percent of black
women, 33.3 percent of Hispanic women, 36.6 percent of
Asian Pacific women, and 28.8 percent of American In-
dian women experience heart disease;
Whereas 53 percent of white women, 47 percent of black
women, 43 percent of Hispanic women, 25.8 percent of
Asian Pacific women, and 37.6 percent of American In-
dian women have cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or high-
er in the United States;
Whereas the 1998 National Vital Statistics Report found that
79 percent of black women and 60 percent of white
women over 45 years old were classified as having high
blood pressure in the United States;
Whereas heart disease and high blood pressure can contribute
to heart failure, an inability of the heart to pump blood
at a rate adequate to meet the demands of the body’s tis-
sues, the need for emergency open-heart surgery, or
death; and
Whereas women can prevent heart disease by stopping the
use of tobacco, reducing the daily intake of alcohol, con-
trolling blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and weight,
exercising for 30 to 60 minutes 3 to 4 times a week, and
taking a low-dose aspirin once a day or antioxidant vita-
min, through 5 servings of fruits or vegetables daily:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
•HRES 220 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Women and
Heart Disease Awareness Resolution’’.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE WITH REGARD TO WOMEN
AND HEART DISEASE.
The House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the severity of the issue of
women and heart disease;
(2) calls on the people of the United States to
take this opportunity to learn about heart disease,
its symptoms, and the steps women can take to
lower their risk;
(3) recognizes the importance of federally fund-
ed programs that provide research and collect data
on the rate of heart disease among women, accord-
ing to age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; and
(4) recognizes the importance of the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National In-
stitutes of Health, and the need for adequate fund-
ing to continue research and data collection about
women and heart disease, particularly with respect
to minority populations.
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