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We hope you enjoy WomenHeart's end-of-year edition of The WomenHeart Beat, our advocacy newsletter designed to keep you updated on WomenHeart’s advocacy events and activities, policy priorities, clinical trial information, and information about Advocacy Corps. We have had a very busy year in 2024 and are looking forward to continuing our efforts to improve heart health for all women in 2025.

Heart Health IS Women's Health Summit & Wenger Awards
All who care about heart health in women will not want to miss the Heart Health IS Women’s Health Summit hosted by WomenHeart and HealthyWomen on Feb. 3 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Westin Center City in Washington, D.C.
In this Summit, experts from around the nation will discuss how heart health is an inseparable aspect of women’s health, innovations in heart care for women, and the policy landscape for heart health in women.
This event will be followed by WomenHeart’s Wenger Awards from 5:30 to 8:30PM, including a reception and dinner, where we recognize and celebrate leaders in heart health for women.
We hope to see you there!
* Summit Registration is $35 and includes a light breakfast and a networking lunch. There is a $25 discount with a Wenger Awards ticket purchase.
* Wenger Awards tickets are $250 and include a reception and dinner. If you would like to include a Summit Registration with your ticket to the Wenger Awards, you save $25--the cost is $260.

Positive Policy News
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)
WomenHeart’s work on TROA (Treat and Reduce Obesity Act) is making a difference. The White House announced a Proposed Rule to expand coverage for obesity medications under Medicare and Medicaid on November 26th. This rule would start for Medicaid as early as 60 days after the rule is published and for Medicare in January 2026.
The new rule calls for:
* Reinterpreting exclusionary language in the exiting rule so that medications for chronic weight management and weight loss would be covered
* Recognizing obesity as a chronic disease and redefine obesity
There is a public comment period for this proposed rule for 60 days. Anyone can comment, and your comments do make a difference. Let your voice be heard here.

The HEARTS Act, H.R.6829 (different from the H.R.880 HEART Act)
The Cardiomyopathy Heath Education, Awareness, Research, and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, was passed by the U.S. Senate on December 10. This bill will help create awareness of cardiomyopathy and support placement of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) and AED and CPR training in schools. Congratulations to Lisa Salberg and the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association and all advocates who contacted their Congress members for all their hard work to make this happen.

Telehealth and PBM Reform
Congress came to a bipartisan agreement on a funding bill on December 17 to include a 2-year extension of Medicare’s telehealth flexibilities and PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager) reform requiring PBMs to pass through 100% of rebates in an effort to reduce drug costs for patients.

Advocate Spotlight
This spotlight goes to the WomenHeart Champions who joined Advocacy Corps this year and to those who are headed to Capitol Hill on February 4 to speak to their members of Congress about what we can do to improve heart health for women. We are looking forward to our day on the Hill on February 4, 2025, right before National Wear Red Day.

We had 60 WomenHeart Champions join Advocacy Corps in 2024. These women are dedicated to going above and beyond when it comes to advocacy issues WomenHeart supports.
Advocacy Corps members engage in training throughout the year on advocating at the federal, state and local levels and on policy priorities. These dedicated Advocacy Corps members help WomenHeart be a more powerful voice and improve heart health for women everywhere.

Clinical Trial Corner
WomenHeart consistently works to promote inclusion of women in clinical trial design and recruitment. Women’s participation in clinical trials is crucial to ensure we know how medications and devices work in women. To this end, WomenHeart staff, leadership and Champions participate in events, panels and speaking opportunities to improve enrollment and retention of women in clinical trials.
In December 2024
* WomenHeart CEO, Celina Gorre, was invited to the White House to speak with President and Dr. Biden and top leaders in heart health in women to help maintain the momentum for heart health research and other health research for women.
* WomenHeart’s Director of Strategic Alliances, Jodi Smith, spoke on the “Patient Trialists Meet Clinical Trialists” panel at the Global CVCT Forum.

Cardiovascular Risk in Women—Inflammation, LDL and Lipoprotein(a)
A 30-year study of 27,939 initially healthy female health professionals in the U.S. showed that increasing levels of hs-CRP (a protein made by the liver that increases when there is inflammation in the body), LDL (or “bad” cholesterol), and Lp(a) (a lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood and can cause clotting and inflammation) were predictive of cardiovascular outcomes. The primary endpoint of interest in the study was looking at the first major adverse cardiovascular event including heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease. The study showed that the risk increases as each one of these—hs-CRP, LDL, and Lp(a)—increases independently, but together, the risk is even more increased. The highest risk is with all three together.

The implications for this all-female study are many, but this 30-year study helps us understand the importance of screening for levels of hs-CRP, LDL and Lp(a) and not just one of these markers. Also, interventions should consider all three and occur early to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in women.

New Clinical Trial Resources
In partnership with The Mended Hearts, Inc. and Cytokinetics, WomenHeart has created new resources as part of the ENACT (Empower, Navigate, Activate for Clinical Trials) program to help guide patients through clinical trials—a Frequently Asked Questions one-pager and a Clinical Trials Discussion Guide. These resources provide important information on clinical trials and debunk some of the myths people have about clinical trial participation. For example, people often don't realize that participants in clinical trials may actually do better because they receive at least the standard of care treatment, they have regular check-ins, and they receive more education about their condition. There are more resources coming soon for this program.


Sponsored
The CORALreef Outcomes clinical research study is testing an investigational medication in adults to learn about how it works to lower cholesterol and see if it reduces cardiovascular events compared to a placebo. You may be able to take part in this study if you are at least 18 years of age, have high cholesterol, and have had or are at risk of having a major cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke. You must also be taking medication and/or supplements to lower your cholesterol.

WomenHeart’s Advocacy Corps is a program made up of WomenHeart Champions —women who have lived experiences with heart disease and are trained to share their stories and advocate for better health for all women. Advocacy Corps allows women’s stories and advocacy activities to be coordinated and amplified for greater impact so WomenHeart can meaningfully engage in advocacy initiatives that improve the lives of women living with and at risk of heart disease.
WomenHeart Champions who are part of Advocacy Corps receive:
* Advocacy Training
* Quarterly virtual meetings
* Priority for Advocacy Day attendance
* Option to participate in speaking opportunities
If you are a WomenHeart Champion and would like to learn more, you can email us at [email protected].

Advocacy Corps would not be possible without the generous support of our Advocacy Corps sponsors:
Bristol Myers Squibb®
CORALreef Outcomes
Merck
Our Contact Information
WomenHeart Donate [[link removed]]
712 H Street, NE, Suite 2201
Washington, DC 20002
202-728-7199

© 2024 WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited. WomenHeart is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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