Philips announces global partnership with World Heart Federation, furthering its commitment to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of World Heart Day on September 29, 2016,  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a leading health technology company, today announced a new partnership with the World Heart Federation (WHF) to help people better manage their heart health.  Aligned  with the WHF's 'power your life' campaign, Philips aims to encourage people to take personal responsibility for leading heart-healthy lives and raise awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in more than 17.5 million deaths in 2015¹ and accounts for more costs than any other chronic illness. Yet, the recent Future Health Index commissioned by Philips shows  only 39% of cardiology healthcare professionals believe their patients have the tools required to better manage their own heart health effectively.  As a leader in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, Philips believes that providing people information to make healthier choices and establish healthier habits is key to ongoing healthy hearts.

"Philips is dedicated to providing personalized, integrated cardiology solutions with a focus on prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Our new partnership with the World Heart Federation is an important element of our commitment to drive prevention of CVD by making clear the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and to help people make better choices and develop healthier habits for life," said Carla Kriwet, Business Leader of Patient Care and Monitoring Solutions at Philips. 

In celebration of World Heart Day, Philips is launching myheartisunique.com, an educational hub designed to drive awareness of preventing CVD through healthy living.  The hub will feature expert interviews; questions for patients to ask their cardiologist; information on living with CVD including early warning signs; and lifestyle-related content such as exercise tips and heart-healthy recipes.

"Heart health is at the heart of all health. When you look after your heart it means eating and drinking well, exercising, stopping smoking... all the things that make you not only healthier, but also feel good and able to enjoy your life to the fullest," said Johanna Ralston, CEO, World Heart Federation. "Our partnership with Philips brings a unique perspective given their clinical expertise and insights into consumers. Together we support the World Health Organization's goal of reducing premature deaths from cardiovascular disease by at least 25% by the year 2025."

As an extension of its World Heart Day activities, earlier this month Philips celebrated the 20^th anniversary of its line of HeartStart automated external defibrillators (AED), featuring an awareness campaign calling attention to the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest and the role of the everyday hero to help save a life.  Philips aims to showcase the ease of use and importance of AEDs, and empower laypeople to take action. In 2015, Philips HeartStart defibrillators were on board 80 percent of major U.S. airlines, and many of the largest international carriers. HeartStart can also be found in 43 professional sports teams and 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies.  

To learn more about Philips' AED awareness campaign and its HeartStart products, please visit: http://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/articles/aed-solutions. For more information on Philips partnership with the World Heart Federation, visit myheartisunique.com.

For further information, please contact:
Kathy O'Reilly
Philips Group Press Office
Tel: +1 978-659-2638
Mobile: +1 978-221-8919
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @kathyoreilly

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2015 sales of EUR 16.8 billion and employs approximately 69,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About the Future Health Index
Philips undertook original research to understand the perception towards connected care and the role it plays in the future of healthcare. The study, which will be run annually, included both quantitative surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. These were conducted from February-April, 2016 in 13 countries. In partnership with an independent global market research firm, a survey was fielded from February 24, 2016 to April 8, 2016 in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, UAE, U.K. and U.S. in their native language. A combination of online, face-to-face (computer-assisted) and phone (computer-assisted) interviewing was used to reach a total sample of:

• 2,659 healthcare professionals (those who work in healthcare as a doctor, surgeon, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or nurse across a variety of specializations)
• 25,355 adult patients (those 18 years old or older who have visited a healthcare professional in the last three months)
• About 200 healthcare professionals and 2,000 patients were surveyed in each country (with the exception of UAE which was 1,000).

¹World Health Organisation. Noncommunicable Diseases. 2015. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/ Accessed September 2016

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SOURCE Royal Philips

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