THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.,
May 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the launch of the
Breakaway from Heart Disease™ campaign to help make heart
health a priority. Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, the American Heart Association and
Schwinn are joining forces with Amgen to urge Americans to
learn more about their family history of heart disease and get
active through cycling. Montana wants others to take charge of
their heart health and make meaningful lifestyle changes – just
like his family did.
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As a former professional athlete and a father of four, staying
active and living a healthy lifestyle is important to Montana and
his wife, Jennifer. Heart disease runs in Montana's family, and
Jennifer's father passed away from a heart attack at the age of 60.
But, Montana didn't know just how much his family history could
impact his own heart health.
"Being a lifelong athlete, I was surprised when my doctor
diagnosed me with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which
are risk factors for heart diseasei," said Montana.
"Heart disease was admittedly never top of mind for me, but after
learning that my family history can influence the future health of
my own family, I joined Amgen for Breakaway from Heart
Disease. I want to motivate others to get active and let them
know that they, too, can work to reduce the risk of heart disease
for their families."
Breakaway from Heart Disease is an easy and fun way for
Americans to support heart health and ride toward a better future
through a series of bike and spin events. The first event kicks off
on May 15, 2016, in San Diego during the Amgen Tour of
California – the country's largest
and most prestigious professional cycling race. The Heart Health
Tour continues across America with bike and spin events as part of
the American Heart Association's CycleNation™, among other
opportunities in select cities across the
United States (U.S.). Visit
www.BreakawayfromHeartDisease.com to find out more about what you
can do today to help improve your heart health for tomorrow.
"With more than 40 percent of U.S. adults projected to have some
form of cardiovascular disease by 2030ii, heart disease
continues to be a critical health concern for
Americansiii," said Raymond C.
Jordan, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs at Amgen.
"By joining leading organizations in a shared commitment,
Breakaway from Heart Disease aims to encourage everyone to
learn more about their family history of heart disease and get
active through activities, such as cycling."
People can also join the ride virtually by uploading a cycling
photo and pledging their miles to www.BreakawayfromHeartDisease.com
using #HeartHealthTour. Each time a photo is submitted through the
website, participants will be entered to win a set of Schwinn
bikes, as well as trigger a $1
donation from Amgen to the American Heart Association.
"While heart disease can run in your family, it is largely
preventable through education, simple lifestyle changes, and
action," said Suzanne Steinbaum, D.O., cardiologist, and
spokesperson for the American Heart Association. "That's why
American Heart Association's CycleNation™ is excited to
join Breakaway from Heart Disease to provide
Americans with critical tools and information to help break the
cycle of heart disease, and hopefully, improve their cardiovascular
health 20 percent by 2020."
About the Breakaway from Heart Disease™ Team
Amgen created Breakaway from Heart Disease™ as a
complementary component to the Amgen Tour of California. The collective goal of the
campaign is to fundamentally change the future of America's heart
health by helping people to find out more about their family's
history of heart disease and encouraging them to get active through
cycling. Amgen has joined forces with leading advocates and
organizations, including:
Joe and Jennifer
Montana
As one of the most recognizable athletes in
America, Joe has won at each level of his game, including four
professional football championships in a nine-year stretch and a
college football championship in 1977. He brings the same spirit of
integrity, commitment and quiet enthusiasm to his responsibilities
as a father of four, a husband to Jennifer and dedicated
philanthropist. With a family history of heart disease, and high
blood pressure and cholesterol himself, this year, Joe and Jennifer
teamed up with Amgen on Breakaway from Heart Disease to
encourage others to understand how their family's history may
affect their present risk for heart disease and what they can do to
help improve their heart health.
American Heart Association
The American Heart
Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and
stroke — the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with
millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for
stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and
information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's
oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting
heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call
1-800-AHA-USA1, visit www.heart.org or any of our offices
around the country.
The American Heart Association has joined Breakaway from
Heart Disease to help elevate the fight by providing critical
tools and information to help Americans learn more about their
family's heart history and ultimately how to take steps to
positively impact health.
Amgen's Breakaway from Heart Disease campaign benefits
the American Heart Association and Amgen Cardiovascular is a proud
national sponsor of American Heart Association's CycleNation™. To
learn more, visit www.CycleNation.org.
Schwinn
Schwinn, an American icon building some of
the best-known and best-loved bicycles of all time, joins the
campaign to encourage everyone to take advantage of cycling as a
way to improve heart health.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the
potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses
by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative
human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like
advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and
understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages
its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes
and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer
since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading
independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of
patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines
with breakaway potential.
For more information, visit http://www.amgen.com and follow us
on www.twitter.com/amgen.
About the Amgen Tour of California
The Amgen Tour of
California is a Tour de
France-style cycling road race created and presented by AEG that
challenges the world's top professional cycling teams to compete
along a demanding course that traverses hundreds of miles of
California's iconic highways,
byways and coastlines each spring. The teams chosen to participate
have included Olympic medalists, Tour de France contenders and
World Champions. Amgen Tour of California is listed on the international
professional cycling calendar (2 HC, meaning "beyond category"),
awarding important, world-ranking points to the top finishers. More
information is available at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008
(media)
Kristen Neese, 805-313-8267
(media)
i National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Lower
Heart Disease Risk. Available at
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/lower-risk/risk-factors.htm.
Accessed March 15, 2016.
ii Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou
OA, et al. Forecasting the Future of Cardiovascular Disease in
the United States: A Policy
Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation.
2011; 123:933-944.
iii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart
disease facts. Heart disease in the
United States. Available at
www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_heart_disease.htm.
Accessed March 14, 2016.
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hall-of-fame-quarterback-joe-montana-and-amgen-team-up-to-launch-breakaway-from-heart-disease-to-make-heart-health-a-priority-300266600.html
SOURCE Amgen