IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, today announced that reports from partners in its Every Heartbeat Matters charitable initiative demonstrate they have impacted the global burden of heart valve disease by educating, screening and/or treating more than 400,000 underserved individuals since launching in 2014. Edwards believes the initiative is on track to achieve the goal of impacting one million underserved people by 2020.

"Millions of people around the world suffer from heart valve disease, yet unbeknown to most, the disease is highly treatable once detected," said Maurice E. Sarano, M.D., professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School and director of the Valvular Heart Disease Clinic and consultant in Cardiovascular Diseases and International Medicine at Mayo Clinic, who presented at the recent 2017 Every Heartbeat Matters Partner Summit.

"Underserved heart valve patients are at a significant disadvantage and have lower chances of receiving the care and treatment they need to survive," said David H. Adams, M.D., cardiac surgeon-in-chief, Mount Sinai Health System, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Professor and chairman Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Mount Sinai Hospital, and president, Mitral Foundation, who also presented at the summit. "It's inspiring to see the focused, strategic efforts of Every Heartbeat Matters' partners who are bringing new solutions and boundless energy to address this global public health issue."

Every Heartbeat Matters supports cardiac- and patient-focused non-profit organizations through grants from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation and donations of Edwards heart valve technologies for indigent care. The initiative focuses on one goal: by 2020, Every Heartbeat Matters will impact the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people. Investments in this initiative since 2014 total more than $15 million.

"Our Every Heartbeat Matters partners are bringing strategic philanthropy, passion and commitment to help vulnerable people all around the world who are affected by heart valve disease," said Michael A. Mussallem, chairman and CEO, Edwards Lifesciences, and chairman, Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. "We are proud to help fuel their bold and impactful work and are on track to achieve our collective pursuit of helping one million underserved people by 2020."

Dr. Sarano is a consultant of Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.

Request for Proposals

Edwards Lifesciences Foundation is accepting requests for funding from non-profit organizations to partner on programs for its Every Heartbeat Matters initiative or those that strengthen the communities in which Edwards' employees live and work. The foundation's 2017 grant cycle is open May 15 to June 23, and grant applications and other information, including a complete listing of all grants issued, are available at www.edwards.com/corporategiving.

About Edwards Lifesciences and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation

Edwards Lifesciences, based in Irvine, Calif., is the global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring.  Driven by a passion to help patients, the company collaborates with the world's leading clinicians and researchers to address unmet healthcare needs, working to improve patient outcomes and enhance lives. For more information, visit www.edwards.com and follow us on Twitter @EdwardsLifesci. Edwards Lifesciences Foundation focuses on supporting underserved heart valve and critically ill patients, as well as strengthening the communities in which Edwards employees live and work through gifts to non-profit organizations all around the world. Additional information can be found at www.edwards.com/corporategiving.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements by Drs. Sarano and Adams and Mr. Mussallem and expectations regarding achievement of the Every Heartbeat Matters goal. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including but not limited to, unanticipated delays or changes in trends for achieving the goals. These and other additional factors are detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. These filings, along with important safety information about our products, may be found at www.edwards.com.

Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, the stylized E logo and Every Heartbeat Matters are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

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