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Martina McBride joins mayor and Women's Heath Initiative to stop heart disease

Natalie Neysa Alund
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

The Women's Heart Alliance, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and country music superstar Martina McBride on Monday announced a collaborate effort to tackle heart disease and stroke among women in Music City.

From left, Caroline Young, Dr. Consuelo H. Wilkins, Martina McBride, Mayor Megan Barry, British Robinson, Karen Springer and Dr. William S. Paul.

The Cities and Communities with Heart Initiative Nashville is a first-of-its-kind endeavor created to improve women's cardiovascular health, Barry announced.

The national non-profit organization co-founded by Barbara Streisand and Ronald O. Perelman, selected Nashville as the first city among 28 other midsize cities because of its committed and collaborative leadership in local government, healthcare, academia, community and faith-based organizations and the private sector.

“This is an issue about equality and having the same resources and education about women’s heart disease as we have about men’s heart disease," said McBride, a Nashville resident. "We don’t know enough about women’s heart disease, but we do know that it is under-diagnosed, under-researched, and whatever research there is is under-funded."

Cardiovascular disease is women's number one killer in Davidson County.

For every one woman who dies of breast cancer, more than eight die from heart disease and stroke.

Other factors here: 23.3 percent of adults smoke; nearly one-third are obese, 26 percent are physically inactive; 33.6 percent report having high blood pressure and 33.5 percent say they have been diagnosed with high cholesterol.

Barry called statistics about woman's heart health in Nashville and Davidson County startling.

"But we've got a great team and a great plan to fight this problem," Barry said. "I'm proud that Nashville is taking a big step to improve women's heart health."

Barry said CCHI Nashville's five program components roll out in 2017 and include Caring for the Caregiver — a program to improve cardiovascular health and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among nurses in Nashville's hospitals and health systems, a clinical study on pregnancy complications and their link to CVD risk factors and CVD, a workforce health initiative through Barry's office to improve heart health a female municipal workers and a screening and prevention and effort in collaboration with Tennessee State University to reduce CVD and it's risk.

"Nashville will be a model for other cities," said British Robinson, WHA CEO, who called the Nashville community vibrant, inclusive and enabled. "We are excited about the work ahead and believe that, through collaborative action, this community will save lives."

Reach Natalie Alund at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.