Barbra Streisand Stumps for More Research on Women's Heart Disease

When Barbra Streisand talks in public, it usually means she’s pushing a pet liberal cause or new project.

This week, the famed Funny Girl is in Washington, D.C. to promote a cause with the potential for bipartisan support.

The singer visited D.C. today to raise awareness about women’s heart disease and rally politicians to increase funding to fight it.

It isn’t the first time Streisand threw her celebrity–and cash–behind the cause. Two years ago she cut a check for more than $20 million to Cedars-Sinai Hospital to fund research against women’s heart disease. She thinks Congress can do more on the issue.

She’s pointed out that the U.S. spends about $246 million on women’s heart disease research each year, compared to the $1 billion spent annually on women’s cancer research.

“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all cancers combined,” Streisand said. “Since 1984, more women than men have died every year from heart disease. It’s time for more funding, more research, and more attention for women’s heart disease.”

Streisand became an advocate for heart disease prevention, education, and treatment a number of years ago when she found out that the disease presents itself differently in women than men, yet most heart disease research is performed on men.

The singer met with several politicians including Sens. John McCain and Dick Durbin.