NFL MVP Kurt Warner And Wife Challenge Football Fans To Make Tailgating Heart Healthy This Season

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kurt and Brenda Warner are giving the 71 million Americans living with high cholesterol heart-healthy tailgating tips just in time for football season. The national public health initiative, First and Goal, encourages people to get back in the game of cholesterol management. Consumers can join the First and Goal Team to access "A Heart-Healthy Twist on Your Tailgate" digital cookbook and submit their favorite healthy recipes for a chance to win a trip to the 2015 Big Game in Arizona. 

Football season goes hand-in-hand with tailgating or "homegating," which often means binging on high-calorie, high-fat snacks while watching the game. For those with high cholesterol, this can be troublesome. Maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle, in addition to prescription medication for many patients, is a critical part of successful treatment.

Kurt, Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP, was diagnosed with high cholesterol while still playing professional football.  He worked with his doctor to develop a treatment game plan, which began with diet and exercise and now includes LIVALO^® (pitavastatin), a once-daily statin.

"I've spent ten years managing my high cholesterol, including working with Brenda to watch what I eat, both on- and off-season," said Kurt Warner. "Through First and Goal, I hope our tips can help others like me enjoy the food that comes with football without compromising their cholesterol management game plan."

"Since Kurt's high cholesterol diagnosis, the whole family has made a few simple changes to our lifestyle -- from being more active to serving healthier snacks while watching the game," added Brenda Warner. "Healthy foods don't have to be boring or bland. With a few tweaks, classic tailgating foods can turn into flavorful, lightened-up favorites, and we're excited to share our First and Goal cookbook with other sports fans."

People are encouraged to visit the First and Goal website for the Warners' recipes, guidelines for a heart-healthy diet from the American Heart Association and resources to help improve the doctor-patient cholesterol conversation. Consumers can enter the Big Game Sweepstakes through November 30, 2014 on FirstandGoalHeartHealth.com. Terms and conditions for the sweepstakes can be found on the First and Goal website.

About LIVALO

LIVALO is a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) indicated as an adjunctive therapy to diet to reduce elevated total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (Apo B), triglycerides (TG), and to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in adult patients with primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia.

Limitations of Use:

• Doses of LIVALO greater than 4 mg once daily were associated with an increased risk for severe myopathy in premarketing clinical studies. Do not exceed 4 mg once daily dosing of LIVALO.
• The effect of LIVALO on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been determined.
• LIVALO has not been studied in Fredrickson Type I, III, and V dyslipidemias.

LIVALO was launched in the U.S. in June 2010.

Primary Hyperlipidemia and Mixed Dyslipidemia

Primary hyperlipidemia is defined as an elevation of cholesterol, particularly "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), or both. Mixed dyslipidemia is usually characterized by an elevation of LDL-C, TG, and a decrease in the "good" cholesterol (HDL-C) in the blood.

Important Safety Information for LIVALO^® (pitavastatin) tablets

Who should NOT take LIVALO?

LIVALO is not right for everyone. Do not take LIVALO if:

• You have a known allergy to LIVALO or any of its ingredients.
• You have active liver problems, including some abnormal liver test results.
• You are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant, as it may harm the baby.
• You are currently taking cyclosporine or gemfibrozil.

What is the most important information I should know and talk to my doctor about?

• Call your healthcare provider or get help right away if you experience any symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as rash, itching, or hives.
• Muscle problems may be an early sign of rare, serious conditions. Tell your doctor right away if you have any unexplained muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, particularly if accompanied by malaise or fever, or if these muscle signs or symptoms persist after discontinuing LIVALO.
• Serious liver problems have been reported rarely in patients taking statins, including LIVALO. Your doctor should do liver tests before you start, and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you are taking LIVALO. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you feel more tired than usual, have a loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark-colored urine, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications you take including nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
• Increases in blood sugar levels have been reported with statins, including LIVALO.
• Tell your doctor about your alcohol use.

What are the most common side effects of LIVALO?

The most common side effects of LIVALO in clinical studies were:

• Back pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Muscle pain
• Pain in the legs or arms

This is not a complete list of side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of all drugs to the FDA.

Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

How should I store and take LIVALO?

• Store LIVALO tablets at room temperature, in a dry place, and out of the reach of children.
• LIVALO can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.
• Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush, dissolve, or chew.

Other important information I should know about LIVALO.

• LIVALO has not been studied to evaluate its effect on reducing heart-related disease or death.
• LIVALO is available by prescription only.

For additional information please see the full Prescribing Information.

© Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. (2013) - LIV-RA-0086 10/2013

About Kowa Company, Ltd. and Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.

Kowa Company, Ltd. (Kowa) is a privately held multinational company headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Established in 1894, Kowa is actively engaged in various manufacturing and trading activities in the fields of pharmaceuticals, life science, information technology, textiles, machinery and various consumer products. Kowa's pharmaceutical division is focused on research and development for cardiovascular therapeutics (dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis), ophthalmology and anti-inflammatory agents. The company's flagship product, LIVALO^® (pitavastatin), is approved in 43 countries around the world.

Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., headquartered in Montgomery, AL, is focused primarily in the area of cardiometabolic diseases. Established in September 2008, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America focuses its efforts on the successful commercialization of its current and near-term portfolio of pharmaceutical products, and business development activities. For more information about Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, visit www.kowapharma.com.

LIVALO is a registered trademark of the Kowa group of companies.

Lisa Garman
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
Mobile (334) 296-1917
[email protected]

Eliza Merves
Makovsky for Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
Office (212) 508-9631
Mobile (908) 256-1243
[email protected]

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SOURCE Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.