Facing AFib Program Encourages Team Approach to Reducing AFib-Related Stroke

As an actress, Susan Lucci has loved many men in her storied soap opera career, but when her real-life leading man was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, she jumped into action and pledged to learn everything she could about his condition. Now, Lucci and her husband, Helmut Huber, are raising awareness of AFib, a type of irregular heartbeat[1] that may increase a person’s risk of stroke nearly five times,[2] as program ambassadors for Facing AFib, Get Serious about Stroke™. By launching the Facing AFib Pledge, the couple is encouraging more than 2.3 million Americans living with AFib,[3] and their loved ones, to join them in learning more about the condition, partnering with their doctors and finding out what can be done to reduce their risk of stroke. “Following Helmut’s diagnosis of AFib more than a decade ago, we’ve worked together, along with his doctor, to fully understand his condition and reduce his risk of stroke,” said Lucci. “We want you to join us by taking the Facing AFib Pledge and ensuring you have all the information you need to better understand your condition and to work with your doctor to reduce your AFib-related stroke risk. It’s free and easy to do!” The Facing AFib Pledge and other useful tools can be found at www.FacingAFib.com. By joining the pledge, AFib patients and their loved ones can commit to learning more about AFib by understanding how the condition affects their health or the health of a loved one and discussing ways to reduce AFib-related stroke with a doctor. Additionally, there’s a state-by-state Facing AFib Pledge Map that allows visitors to see where others like them have joined in taking the pledge. “May is National Stroke Awareness Month, so this is the perfect time for people to join the Facing AFib Pledge and commit to doing all they can to reduce AFib-related stroke,” said Jim Baranski, CEO, National Stroke Association. “Millions are impacted by AFib and our goal is to arm them with the information they need and the tools that will allow them to work closely with their doctor to develop a treatment plan that will reduce their risk of stroke.” Facing AFib is a national program to educate Americans about AFib and to encourage those with the condition to take steps to help reduce their stroke risk. The program also aims to facilitate improved communication between patients and healthcare providers. The program website, www.FacingAFib.com, offers helpful information and free resources, such as a stroke risk assessment tool and personalized doctor discussion guide. Visitors also can register for a free interactive book, AFib and Stroke: The Heart-Head Connection. Facing AFib is supported by founding sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. along with partnering organizations National Stroke Association and StopAfib.org. “As the founder of StopAfib.org and someone who has been an AFib patient, I have taken the Facing AFib Pledge. It is my passion to ensure patients have access to credible information and useful tools like those available at FacingAFib.com,” said Mellanie True Hills, founder of StopAfib.org. “I encourage everyone to take the Pledge and to find out how many others just like them have made the commitment to face AFib and get serious about stroke.” Facing AFib Partnering Organizations Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the founding sponsor of the Facing AFib program, has joined with two leading patient advocacy organizations to help raise public awareness of AFib and its related increased stroke risk: National Stroke Association is the only national organization in the United States that focuses 100 percent of its efforts on stroke. The organization achieves its mission to lower the incidence and impact of stroke by developing compelling community outreach programs, calling for continued improvement in the quality of stroke patient care and educating both healthcare professionals and the general public about stroke. Visit www.stroke.org or call 1-800-STROKES (1-800-787-6537) for more information. Or join the Facebook page at www.stroke.org/facebook. StopAfib.org founder, Mellanie True Hills, created the site as part of the American Foundation for Women’s Health to share what she and other atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients have learned and to provide others with information and answers to their questions. StopAfib.org is a patient-to-patient resource to help patients control their AFib so it doesn’t rule their lives. The site reaches out to patients, families, and caregivers, who all deal with the life-changing impact of AFib. StopAfib.org also contains an AFib Services Locator to help patients find the right resources for treating and managing their AFib. (www.stopafib.org) [1] NHLBI website. “What is AFib?” Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/af/af_what.html. Accessed on: May 2, 2011. [2] Fuster, V., et al. “ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation – Executive Summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 2001 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation): Developed in Collaboration With the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society.” Circulation 2006;114:700-752. [3] Go, A.S., et al. “Prevalence of Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation in Adults: National Implications for Rhythm Management and Stroke Prevention: the AnTicoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) Study.” JAMA 2001;285:2370-2375.