On Valentine’s Day, Abbott Urges Women to Take Heart With Launch of ‘Faces of Heart Disease’ Exhibit to Raise Heart Health Awareness

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — This Valentine’s Day, Abbott and the American Heart Association are launching the “Faces of Heart Disease” educational poster exhibit to urge women in Illinois to give themselves and their loved ones the gift of a healthier heart by reducing their risk for heart disease.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080213/AQW118)    News Facts   — Unveiled at the Illinois State Capitol on Valentine’s Day, the “Faces      of Heart Disease” is a poster series featuring personal stories of      local women who have recovered from heart disease, the No. 1 killer of      women in Illinois and across the country, with one out of every three      women dying from heart disease.  These real-life survivors are sharing      their experiences to inspire other women to improve their heart health.    — Illinois state legislators, including members of the bipartisan      Conference of Women Legislators, will “Go Red” on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. in      the Capitol Building in Springfield to show their support for heart      disease awareness and treatment efforts, and to discuss the impact of      heart disease on women across the state.    — The exhibit also will be on display at the Secretary of State’s office      in Springfield, as well as O’Hare International Airport, Macy’s on      State Street, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Lake Forest Hospital and      other locations across Chicagoland.    — As the first-ever Chicagoland Hometown Sponsor for the American Heart      Association’s Go Red for Women movement, Abbott (http://www.abbott.com/)      is partnering with the Association to raise awareness about heart      disease.    — Women can join the Go Red for Women movement and take the free Go Red      Heart CheckUp, an online 10-year assessment of their heart health at      http://www.goredforwomen.org/.     Quotes   “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women across Illinois.   It’s critical that government, businesses, non-profit organizations and   health care providers join forces across the state to ensure that every   woman knows the facts about heart disease.  I applaud Abbott and the   American Heart Association for drawing attention to this important issue.”       Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett, 29th District, Chair of the       State’s Public Health Committee and member of the Conference of Women       Legislators (http://www.garrett98.com/)    “As a leader in fighting cardiovascular disease, Abbott is proud to   partner with the American Heart Association on the ‘Faces of Heart   Disease’ exhibit.  On Valentine’s Day and in the coming months, we hope   this campaign will inspire women to take action to improve their heart   health.”       Reeta Roy, Divisional Vice President, Global Citizenship and Policy,       Abbott    “The ‘Faces of Heart Disease’ exhibit is a great way to expand the reach   of the Go Red for Women message:  women need to be aware of the risks of   heart disease, and take steps to live healthier.”       John Amato, President of the Metro Chicago American Heart Association       Board    Stories from the “Faces of Heart Disease” Exhibit   “I participated in an occupational health screening and my blood pressure   and cholesterol were excellent.  Ironically, the good news I received at   lunchtime was short-lived when, that night, I found myself in acute care   in the midst of a heart attack at age 33.  I had back pain, tightness in   my neck, and discomfort that moved through my jaw and settled in the soft   spot under my chin.  Then, the nausea came.  Doctors think I had a   coronary artery spasm, which is quite common in women and because of my   narrow arteries it was enough to close them up and cause the heart   attack.”       Michelle Smietana, age 34, of Gurnee, Ill., software testing engineer       at Abbott and heart attack survivor    “I am a wife and a mother of four-year-old twins.  And I have coronary   artery disease, or CAD.  Last year, I experienced chest pain and was   rushed to the emergency room. After being diagnosed with CAD, I received a   stent.  A couple of months later, I had chest pain again, which required   another stent.  I am currently in cardiac rehab. With encouragement from   family, friends and people in rehab, I know I can beat this disease.”       Tracy Jackson, age 42, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., heart disease       survivor    About Go Red for Women  

Since 2004, Go Red For Women has captured the energy, passion, and intelligence of women to work collectively to wipe out heart disease — the No. 1 killer of women. Today, we want millions of women across America to take heart disease personally. Go Red For Women engages these women — and the men who love them — to embrace the cause. Health care providers, celebrities, and politicians also elevate the cause and spread the word about women and heart disease. For more information about Go Red For Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/. The movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s and Merck.

About Abbott

In addition to raising awareness through campaigns like Go Red for Women, Abbott is committed to developing new drugs and medical devices to treat heart disease and related conditions. With diagnostic tests, pharmaceutical products, nutritional products and vascular stents to help diagnose and treat heart disease, Abbott has one of the world’s leading heart disease and vascular care businesses.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs 65,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott’s news releases and other information are available on the company’s Web site at http://www.abbott.com/.

   Related Links   Go Red for Women:  (http://www.goredforwomen.org/)   American Heart Association:  (http://www.americanheart.org/)  

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080213/AQW118AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN16PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Abbott

CONTACT: Ann Fahey-Widman, +1-847-938-6388, or Matt Bedella,+1-847-936-3394, both of Abbott

Web site: http://www.abbott.com/http://www.goredforwomen.org/http://www.americanheart.org/