Don't Leave Home Without It: Vanessa Williams, Bayer HealthCare and WomenHeart Launch Handbags & Hearts to Urge Women to Make Over Their Handbags to Include Aspirin and Be Better Prepared for a Heart Attack

MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer HealthCare, the makers of Bayer® Aspirin, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, and actress, singer and author Vanessa Williams today announce their partnership to launch Handbags & Hearts, a national campaign that leverages the link between women and their handbags – the one item they do not leave home without – and urges women to take the Handbags & Hearts pledge to carry aspirin at all times to be prepared for a sudden heart attack.  Being prepared by carrying aspirin, knowing the symptoms of heart attack and not putting off calling 911 if a heart attack is suspected, can be the difference between life and death. 

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More than 250,000 women die of a heart attack each year, yet most women's handbags are better prepared for a broken nail (55%) or bad hair day (36%) than a heart attack (17%). In fact, in a recent survey, less than one-quarter of women said they carry aspirin in their handbag.  When taken during a suspected heart attack and for 30 days thereafter, aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 23 percent and lessen a heart attack's damaging effects to the heart muscle.

"I am passionate about this campaign and its message, as both of my grandmothers died from heart attacks at a young age.  As Mother's Day nears, I'm joining Bayer HealthCare and WomenHeart to urge all women to make their heart health a priority and to take the Handbags & Hearts pledge to carry aspirin in their handbags at all times and learn the symptoms of a heart attack in women.  I took the pledge and have encouraged all the important women in my life to do the same," said Vanessa Williams, currently starring in "The Trip to Bountiful" on Broadway. "Calling 911 if you think you may be experiencing a heart attack, and having aspirin on hand if needed, can help save lives, yet so many women aren't doing this."

Saving Hearts, One Handbag at a Time
For every pledge to make over a handbag by adding potentially life-saving aspirin, and every share of the message with friends made on HandbagsAndHearts.com, Bayer HealthCare will make donations to WomenHeart ($1 for pledge, $2 for share) up to a total of $200,000 to support WomenHeart in serving the 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease. WomenHeart is a national network of women living with heart disease, aligned with a scientific advisory council composed of many of the nation's top cardiologists and other healthcare experts, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives.  

In addition, consumers can also visit www.HandbagsAndHearts.com to order a Heart Attack Preparedness Kit for a $5 donation to WomenHeart. The Kit includes aspirin and tips for what to do in case of a sudden heart attack.

Women Don't Know the Signs of Heart Attack
When it comes to heart disease, men and women are not always created equal. In a recent online survey of 1,000 women, most had limited knowledge of heart attack symptoms different to them such as nausea (57%) and cold sweats (64%).  And while most women (61%) surveyed said they now fear they are likely to have a heart attack in their lifetime, many said they did not ask their doctor about their "overall heart health" at their last physical.

"I see many women in my practice who are busy taking care of everyone but themselves.  Don't be passive about your health; ask your doctor about your coronary risks and a plan you can put in place to address those risks – before you have a heart attack," said Tracy Stevens, MD, FACC, member of WomenHeart's national Scientific Advisory Council, WomenHeart's advisory group of the nation's leading experts on women's heart health.  "And take the time now to know the signs of a heart attack in women. If you suspect a heart attack, calling 911 and taking aspirin as directed by a physician can be life-saving.  Trust your gut – if something doesn't seem right, don't delay.  Taken immediately at the onset of heart attack, aspirin can prevent the formation of additional blood clots that block the blood flow through the arteries and can reduce the risk of death.  Carrying aspirin in case of emergency is a no-brainer.  It's one small change that can make all the difference."

To learn more about Handbags & Hearts and to take the pledge, visit www.HandbagsAndHearts.com.

About the Survey
The Bayer Aspirin Handbags & Hearts Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 women, ages 40+, between March 27^th and April 4, 2013, using an email invitation and an online survey.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation.  The magnitude of the variation is measureable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.  For the interview conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if the interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Women Heart
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's only patient centered organization serving the 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease – the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. Find more information at: www.womenheart.org.

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 18.6 billion (2012), 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 55,300 employees (Dec 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information at www.healthcare.bayer.com.

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The Consumer Care division of Bayer HealthCare is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. 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 Bayer® Aspirin, Aleve®, Alka-Seltzer Plus®, Bactine®, RID®, Phillips'® Milk of Magnesia, Midol®, Alka-Seltzer®, One A Day® vitamins, and Flintstones™ vitamins in the United States, and, globally, Aspirin®, Flanax®/Apronax®, Talcid®, Rennie®, Canesten®, Bepanthen®, Bepanthol®, Supradyn®, Redoxon®, Berocca®, Cal-D-Vita/Elevit® and Vital 50 Plus®.

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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.   

^** Not a replacement for heart medications.

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare