Speechwriting: National Women’s Heart Disease Conference Speech
Given by ACP's President, February 2001
There is a disease stalking American women. It’s not trendy. You don’t hear too much about it in the news or around the office water cooler. But twenty percent of all the women in America have some form of it. That’s one out of every five women. And, all too often, they don’t even know it.
It’s not AIDS, or cancer, or some exotic plague. It’s cardiovascular disease, including heart disease. And it’s the number-one killer of American women. It’s time that we heard more about it, and it’s time that we gave women the information they need to fight this quiet killer.
Good morning. I’m Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer. I’m a doctor of internal medicine in Atlanta. As an internist, or doctor for adults, I see a lot of women in my practice who suffer from heart disease and other ailments. This past year, in my role as president of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, I’ve had the privilege to travel the country and bring the issue of women’s health to audiences both large and small. ACP-ASIM represents more than 115,000 doctors of internal medicine, who provide health care for the majority of adults in the United States. My organization has seized the issue of heart disease and stroke and made it part of a major women’s health initiative, which hopes to raise public awareness that women’s health is about more than just reproductive health.
A 1993 study showed that reproductive care accounted for only one-third
of health care expenditures for women of reproductive age, and that less
than one-fifth of all expenditures were spent on pregnancy-related care.
Clearly, women in their reproductive years and beyond need more than just
reproductive care.
There is an impression in this country that heart disease is more of a
man’s problem than a woman’s. We don’t hear about too
many women who have had bypass surgery or a heart transplant. Movies and
television shows often depict men dealing with heart problems, but rarely
women.
Awareness of a problem is the first step in dealing with it. If you are aware of these alarming statistics and become proactive in giving yourself or your loved ones the best protection possible, this knowledge could be a lifesaver.
As in any battle, information about the enemy can help fend off an attack. Women need no longer feel powerless against the possibility of heart problems. Armed with an increasing body of knowledge about heart attacks and their causes, physicians can now counsel women at risk on ways of lessening the chance of heart problems. But that information won’t do any good unless we get the message out to the women in America that they need to keep their eyes open for any sight of the enemy. Early detection of a problem equates with early resolution.
Heart diseases symptoms often begin to show themselves around menopause in women. At 50, the rough age of menopause, most women are more overweight and more sedentary than men. And more women than men have high cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease. All three factors – excess weight, inactivity, and high cholesterol – add up to make millions of women candidates for heart disease.
But heart disease is not the only health issue facing adult women. Osteoporosis, menopause, and breast cancer are all potentially serious issues facing women. That’s why the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine launched its three-year women’s health initiative. As part of this outreach, we’ve produced national print advertisements – which you see here – about heart disease and stroke, menopause, osteoporosis, and women’s cancers. These ads ran in several popular women’s magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal, Family Circle, and Reader’s Digest. Radio sponsorships also ran on a variety of National Public Radio programs.
To help educate women about health issues that affect millions of them, we’ve created patient education materials and a Web site about adult health issues. The Web site, doctors for adults dot com, contains background information on a variety of health topics, as well as links to useful research studies. It’s a great resource for anyone looking for more information.
As a doctor of internal medicine, and as a woman, I’m concerned about the state of women’s health in America. That’s why I’m excited to be able to make a difference through my organization’s women’s health initiative. But you can help, too. Urge female friends and family to see their primary care physician regularly, and discuss their health with him or her frankly. Although the statistics are alarming, you can do a lot to prevent yourself or your loved ones from becoming part of those numbers.
For more information about the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine’s Women’s Health Initiative, please see our Web site at doctors for adults dot com.
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© 2001 American College of Physicians