Are You At Risk? Bayer HealthCare's Bayer® Aspirin Launches The ProHeart Path Tool to Assess CV Event Risk

WHIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 700,000 people suffer heart attacks and 795,000 people have a stroke each year in the United States. In an effort to help consumers understand their risk for these life-threatening cardiovascular events, today, Bayer HealthCare, the makers of Bayer® Aspirin, announces the launch of the ProHeart Path Tool. The ProHeart Path Tool, available on IamProHeart.com, calculates the 5-year risk of a cardiovascular event (heart attack or stroke) based on a risk assessment. The ProHeart Path Tool also provides an individualized summary and action plan with recommended lifestyle changes and tips for lowering the risk of cardiovascular events.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7421851-bayer-aspirin-proheart-path-tool

"As a cardiologist, I see many patients come into my office without an understanding of their risk factors for a cardiovascular event. Being proactive about your health, speaking with your physician and understanding your risks are so important," said Tracy Stevens, MD, FACC, Member of the WomenHeart Scientific Advisory Council, WomenHeart's advisory group of the nation's leading experts on women's heart health, and Medical Director of the Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute's Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center. "By using Bayer HealthCare's ProHeart Path Tool and receiving a personalized action plan, you'll be equipped for an essential discussion with your physician about how you can best care for your heart." 

Changing specific lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise and smoking can have a large impact on risk factors for cardiovascular events. In fact, smokers are two to four times more likely to have heart disease. Additionally, an inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.  Being proactive about your heart health and altering behavior will have life-long positive results.

"Bayer HealthCare has long been dedicated to providing heart health education," said Fred Duchin, Vice President, Marketing Analgesics, Cough & Cold, Cardiovascular at Bayer Consumer Care. "And today we are proud to launch the ProHeart Path Tool as we believe it's a resource that may motivate change in individuals at risk for heart attack or stroke. We hope it provides great value and truly life-saving information."           

For more information, visit IamProHeart.com today and complete the ProHeart Path Tool risk assessment to determine your risks for a heart attack or stroke, receive a plan for lowering your risks and speak with your doctor.

About The ProHeart Path Tool

The ProHeart Path Tool calculates the 5-year risk of heart attack or stroke based on factors such as self-reported behavior and health barriers. The tool requires the following information: gender, age, height and weight, smoking status, history of diabetes, heart attack or stroke, family history of heart attack, current medications. These risk factors evaluated are those recognized by the scientific community to convey cardiovascular event risk. The gender-specific tool generates a personalized action plan for starting and maintaining a positive heart healthy regimen. The personalized plan will suggest lifestyle changes, provide tips and ideas to overcoming barriers. The ProHeart Path Tool is meant to help facilitate a meaningful conversation with a physician about ways to lower risk for heart attack or stroke.

About I Am ProHeart

I Am ProHeart is Bayer Aspirin's digital experience designed to raise consumer awareness of their personal risk and to spur them to start/maintain positive heart healthy behaviors.

There is also wellness content that provides users with engaging content/articles around topics such as "Diet & Nutrition", "Inspiration & Motivation", "Living Heart Healthy", "Community", etc. The site also includes a specific "Warning Signs" section that can be used to educate consumers on the warning signs of a heart attack. Lastly, the site has a dedicated "Products & Offers" section that houses all of the Bayer Aspirin line extensions and savings opportunities.

About Bayer HealthCare

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 18.9 billion (2013), is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 56,000 employees (Dec 31, 2013) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.healthcare.bayer.com

The Consumer Care division of Bayer HealthCare is headquartered in Whippany, N.J. USA.  Bayer's Consumer Care division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Aleve®, Alka-Seltzer®, Alka-Seltzer Plus®, Apronax®, Aspirin®, Bactine®, Bayer® Aspirin, Bepanthen®, Bepanthol®, Berocca®, Cal-D-Vita/Elevit®, Canesten®, Flanax®, Flintstones™ Vitamin, Midol®, One A Day® Vitamin, Phillips'® Milk of Magnesia, Redoxon®, Rennie®, Supradyn®, Talcid® and Vital 50 Plus®, Berocca™, Canesten™, Claritin®, Coppertone®, Dr. Scholl's®, Elevit™, Flanax™, Iberogast™, MiraLAX®, Nazol™, One A Day®, Priorin™, Redoxon™, Rennie™, Skinoren™, Supradyn™, Tabcin™, and White & Black™.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.   

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare