The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee last week heard testimony on legislation (S 573, HR 1014) that aims to improve heart disease education among women, bolster gender-specific research and increase women's access to heart disease screening, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/3). A group of female lawmakers -- including Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Reps. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.) -- in February introduced the legislation.

The measure, called the HEART for Women Act, would require health information reported to FDA to specify gender, race and ethnicity. In addition, the legislation would expand nationwide a CDC program called WISEWOMAN, which currently provides no-cost heart disease and stroke tests to low-income, uninsured women in 14 states. The measure also would authorize grants to be made to educate physicians about preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease among women. The bill also would require the HHS secretary each year to issue a report to Congress about findings and recommendations related to quality and access to care for women with cardiovascular disease (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/27).

Testimony, Reaction
Susan Bennett of the American Heart Association on Tuesday said that a 2005 survey conducted by AHA found only 8% of primary care physicians and 17% of cardiologists knew that more women than men die of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases annually. "Women are more likely to die within a year of their first heart attack, but they are less likely to be referred to diagnostic testing that would be standard for men," Bennett said, adding, "Women also are less likely to receive coronary interventions -- such as angioplasties and stents, as well as carotid endarterectomy procedures -- to prevent stroke."

Subcommittee members praised the educational aspects of the bill, but some Republicans questioned its data reporting provisions, CQ HealthBeat reports. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said provisions to educate physicians should be "more robust." Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.), the ranking member on the subcommittee, expressed concern that stratifying data by race, gender and ethnicity would create issues, such as slowing approvals of generic drugs. Bennett responded that the provisions on data reporting do not require additional testing, they only require that existing data be noted explicitly. She added that to "stratify results by gender is a pretty easy thing to do mechanically." According to CQ HealthBeat, it is unclear if the bill will move through Congress this year (CQ HealthBeat, 5/3).