Vitals.Com ‘Goes Red’ for American Heart Month

LYNDHURST, N.J., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ — While recent data released from the Center for Disease Control indicates that deaths resulting from coronary heart disease and stroke have declined since 1999*, major risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol remain on the rise. Vitals.com, a leading online doctor evaluation service listing more than 12,700 cardiologists, is “Going Red” in February at http://www.vitals.com/focus/heart to support American Heart Month and promote the simple steps that Americans can take to improve their heart health through early detection and living well.

“Although heart disease threatens both men and women equally, every individual can take preventative measures to eliminate or control their own risk factors,” said Dr. Todd Rosengart, Chief Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stony Brook University Medical Hospital and Chief Medical Advisor of MDX Medical, which created Vitals. “With the help of a doctor, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, obesity and diabetes can easily be monitored to maintain a long and healthy life,” Rosengart adds.

Recognized internationally for his advancements in the field of cardiac surgery, Dr. Rosengart stresses the importance of physical activity as the most important factor in preventing death from cardiovascular disease. With 460,000 women dying each year, heart disease is still the #1 killer of women in America, as reported by the American Heart Association. Rosengart recommends vigorous exercise for an hour and half a week or brisk walks for three hours a week to reduce coronary heart disease risk in women by 30 to 40 percent. Moderate physical activity can also lead to a 20 percent decrease in the risk of stroke for women.

According to the American Heart Association, both high cholesterol and high blood pressure are major contributing factors to the development of heart disease. “Nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure but is unaware of it because there are no symptoms,” said Dr. Rosengart. Fortunately, managing both blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be achieved through proper diet, exercise and in some cases, medication.

As prevention takes center stage in the fight against heart disease, Vitals is the easiest way for consumers to access information on top specialists in their area free of charge, in order to quickly get checked out and seek the medical attention they need. Vitals features all of the critical information necessary for consumers to find the right doctor for them, including empirical information, peer review recommendations and patient feedback, compiled into one central, all-inclusive database. Consumers can also use Vitals to check-up on their current doctors, including cardiologists and internists.

* Center for Disease Control Study, January 2008 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf

About Todd Rosengart, MD Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Vitals

Dr. Todd Rosengart is both an accomplished physician and entrepreneur. Dr. Rosengart is Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stony Brook Medical Center. Dr. Rosengart has been repeatedly named as one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly, in Best Doctors, Who’s Who in Medicine and Chicago magazine. He has authored over 100 scientific publications, appeared in the national television media, including CNN, the Discovery channel, and public television, and been quoted in numerous national lay media publications, including Time, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and Reader’s Digest. Additionally, Dr. Rosengart has pioneered innovations in the field of gene therapy and has received numerous research grants and patents.

About Vitals / MDX Medical LLC

Vitals (http://www.vitals.com/), an innovative, online doctor evaluation and comparison service from MDX Medical LLC, is the comprehensive source for crucial information, peer evaluations and patient feedback on 720,000 doctors nationwide. Providing a free web-based service, Vitals has a revenue model similar to other search engines, including highly targeted advertising on its site. Vitals is a subsidiary of MDX Medical, which is led by CEO Mitchel Rothschild, Chairman Richard D. Forman, and Founder and Chief Medical Advisor Todd Rosengart, MD.

Vitals

CONTACT: Jennifer Kutsher of MWW Group for Vitals, +1-212-827-3759,jkutsher@mww.com

Web site: http://www.vitals.com/http://www.vitals.com/focus/hearthttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf