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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THAT CONGRESS FUNDS MORE COMPREHENSIVE MENOPAUSE RESEARCH AND ADVANCE WOMEN'S HEALTH THROUGH FUNDING EDUCATION ON SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF MENOPAUSE
WHEREAS, menopause is the time that marks the end of women's menstrual cycles. It is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual period. Women first experience menopause in their 40s or 50s, the average age is 51 in the United States, and symptoms can last anywhere from 7 to 14 years; and
WHEREAS, menopause, a natural biological process, manifests with physical and emotional symptoms, such as hot flashes, disrupted sleep, mood changes, and lower energy, among many others. There are many effective treatments available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy; and
WHEREAS, after menopause, the low levels of estrogen and progesterone raise the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, lead poisoning, urinary incontinence, and oral issues like cavities; and
WHEREAS, per an article published by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in May of 2022: "Menopause itself may contribute to structural and functional vascular changes. Within one year of the final menstrual period, arterial stiffness significantly increased - beyond what would be expected from aging and risk factors alone." And
WHEREAS, per the NIA, studies showed that Black women had experienced more, and earlier, arterial stiffness than white women. Cardiovascular disease risk factor status at midlife was higher in Black and Hispanic women compared with white and Chinese women. In late midlife, some racial and ethnic groups were more likely to have changes in blood vessel health, such as thicker arterial walls in Black women, narrower blood vessels in all but Chinese women, and more arterial plaque in white women; and
WHEREAS, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term study launched by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 1991 that enrolled more than 161,000 women across the country, ave...
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