StopAfib.org Brings Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month to Broadway, Beyond

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Sep 29, 2015, 08:45 ET

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- From the bright lights of Times Square to hearts of atrial fibrillation (afib) patients throughout the world, StopAfib.org has made a difference by increasing awareness of this potentially deadly condition. During September, which is National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, this leading afib non-profit organization has several campaigns to further spread the word about atrial fibrillation.

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Afib, the most common irregular heartbeat, can lead to dementia, heart failure, stroke, or even death. During Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month and beyond, look for these StopAfib.org campaigns from Broadway to broadband:

Bright Lights, Big Board
From September until November, a Times Square billboard will display a message from MyAFibExperience.org, a website co-created by the American Heart Association and StopAfib.org with support from Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

The 10-second message explains that those with afib have a five times greater risk of stroke and encourages those with afib symptoms such as racing, pounding, or skipping heartbeat to consult their doctors. The billboard is at 43^rd Street and Broadway, across the street from the NASDAQ MarketSite.

"If you're in Times Square, please take a selfie photo or video of you in front of the billboard and tweet it to @stopafib," says StopAfib.org founder Mellanie True Hills, an afib survivor who on September 13 celebrated a decade of being afib free. "Let's share the message about afib!"

StopAfib.org Global Medical Advisory Board Additions
The StopAfib.org Global Medical Advisory Board provides a sounding board to help StopAfib.org appropriately convey information about diagnosis along with current and future atrial fibrillation treatments.

The most recent additions to the board include:

John D. Day, MD, FHRS, Electrophysiologist, Director, Heart Rhythm Services, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT and President, Heart Rhythm Society 2015-2016

Mintu Turakhia, MD, FHRS, Electrophysiologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University and Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

"The atrial fibrillation experts on our Global Medical Advisory Board provide valuable insights about the future of atrial fibrillation treatment," Hills says. "I sincerely thank them for contributing their time and energy to our cause and for helping better the lives of afib patients."

Vital National Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference Videos Online
Throughout the year, StopAfib.org hosts many events, including the Get in Rhythm, Stay in Rhythm National Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference. During these conferences, afib patients and their families can learn essential information about the condition from internationally known atrial fibrillation experts present.

If afib patients can't travel to a National Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, they can now view this vital, timely information at StopAfib.org.

Twelve hours of video presentations offer a wealth of topics, including what is afib, treating afib with medications, avoiding strokes, partnering with your healthcare providers, catheter ablation, surgery, and decreasing risk factors through managing lifestyle.

About National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
In 2007, StopAfib.org founder Mellanie True Hills created National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. In 2009, the U.S. Senate officially declared September National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. Now in its ninth year, the month is also a chance for healthcare providers to conduct related health fairs to screen for the condition.

About Atrial Fibrillation
As the most common irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation, also known as afib, affects more than 5 million Americans. One-third of those who have the condition may not have symptoms. By 2030, as many as 17 million people may have it. About 350,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S. are attributed to afib. In addition, people over the age of 40 have a one in four chance of developing afib in their lifetime. Having afib increases your stroke risk by 500 percent and can lead to heart failure and dementia.

About StopAfib.org
The mission of StopAfib.org is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families, support the doctor-patient relationship, and wipe out afib-related strokes worldwide. It provides information about atrial fibrillation symptoms, causes, risks, treatments, resources, and the latest afib news and videos.

Now the No. 1 Arrhythmia site on the Internet and in the Top 5 Heart Disease sites, StopAfib.org has received the HON Code Certification from the Health on the Net Foundation, signifying a credible, trustworthy medical web site.

StopAfib.org CEO and founder, Mellanie True Hills, CSP, is the author of A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life and has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, USA Weekend, and in Heart-Healthy Living, More, and Success magazines.

Contact information
For more information, visit www.StopAfib.org or contact
Mellanie True Hills at 940-466-9898 or www.stopafib.org/contact.cfm

SOURCE StopAfib.org