BIO '99 To Feature Presentations On Women's Health Issues
WASHINGTON, D.C.(April 8, 1999) Heart disease claims 10 times as many lives as breast cancer and 42 percent of women die within a year of a heart attack compared with 24 percent of men.
To better understand the danger of heart disease for women, a special symposium exploring the condition will be one of several presentations emphasizing women's health issues at the BIO '99 International Biotechnology Meeting & Exhibition in Seattle, Washington, May 16 through May 20.
The symposium, titled "Hope for the Heart: Women and Heart Disease in the New Millennium," will feature leading researchers, clinicians and educators discussing advances in treating heart disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women.
Featured speakers include Dr. Sandra Gan, of the Swedish Medical Center of Seattle, who researches gender differences in treatment of heart attacks; Dr. Robert Lazzara, of the Hope Heart Institute in Seattle, who is pioneering use of robotics for minimally invasive surgery; Dr. Mary Reed, of the University of Washington, who is studying angiogenesis as a therapy for cardiovascular disease; and Charlotte Libov, an award-winning author who urges women to become more proactive about heart disease.
The annual meeting of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is the world's largest exhibition of its kind. A record 5,000 company executives, scientists, investment experts and government officials from 40 nations are expected to attend. The conference will feature more than 125 presentations including developments in medical, agricultural and industrial biotechnology. More than 500 exhibitors also will display their most up-to-date product innovations.
Among the special guest speakers are Washington Gov. Gary Locke; Seattle Mayor Paul Schell; National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator Dan Goldin; and Compaq Computer Corp. President and CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer.
A full program of BIO '99 symposia, presentations and events is available on BIO's website at www.bio.org.
BIO '99 will take place at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle.
Registration for credentialed press is complimentary at BIO'99. A fully operational press room with computers and Internet access will be available. To register, fill out the registration form within the BIO '99 program on BIO's website, mark it press and send it in electronically, or print out the form and fax it to BIO at (202)962-9201.
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