FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mellanie True Hills at 940-466-9898 or http://www.stopafib.org

StopAfib.org partners with Facing AFib, releases video with TV Star Susan Lucci and husband Helmut Huber about atrial fibrillation

November 29, 2010, Dallas ? StopAfib.org is proud to announce its participation in the Facing AFib? program with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., National Stroke Association , and Susan Lucci and her husband Helmut Huber.

Facing AFib is a nationwide, multimedia campaign designed to educate Americans about atrial fibrillation (afib) and to encourage those with the condition to take steps to help reduce their stroke risk. The program also aims to improve communication between patients and healthcare providers by offering resources such as a list of customizable questions for afib-related doctor visits.

?Though many patients don?t believe they are at risk, afib is associated with about 15 percent of all strokes in the U.S.,? said Mellanie True Hills, StopAfib.org founder. ?We?ve joined Facing AFib to arm patients and caregivers with important information and tools to help them communicate with healthcare providers about afib and to be proactive in reducing stroke risk.?

Headlining the Facing AFib multi-year campaign is daytime TV star Susan Lucci and her husband Helmut Huber. More than a decade ago, Helmut was diagnosed with afib. Without any outward symptoms, Helmut found out that he had the condition during a routine doctor?s visit. Susan and Helmut appear in a two-and-a-half minute Facing AFib: Get Serious about Stroke video with StopAfib.org founder Mellanie True Hills to raise awareness of atrial fibrillation and the risk of stroke.

?Learning you or someone you love has atrial fibrillation can be overwhelming and scary, especially when you hear about the increased risk of stroke,? Susan said. ?Thankfully our doctor reassured us that many afib-related strokes may be preventable. Through Facing AFib, we hope to pass that message along and encourage others touched by afib ? both patients and loved ones ? to get serious about stroke.?

To help those with afib and their loved ones better understand personal stroke risk, www.FacingAFib.com offers valuable resources, including an interactive risk assessment tool, a doctor discussion guide, and access to a free book packed with information.

View the video featuring Susan Lucci and Helmut Huber with StopAfib.org founder Mellanie True Hills

Learn more about the Facing AFib program

To learn more about atrial fibrillation, watch the Take a Stand video and visit the Get Started Learning About Atrial Fibrillation Guide.

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) quick facts

• Afib can cause blood to pool in the atria, which can result in the formation of clots that can travel from the heart to the brain and lead to a stroke.
• Afib is associated with up to 15 percent of all strokes in the U.S.
• The prevalence of Afib is expected to increase 2.5 fold to 5.6 million by 2050.
• The risk of stroke associated with Afib increases with age.
• People with risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes are at increased risk of developing Afib.
• Strokes associated with Afib can be about twice as likely to be fatal or severely disabling as non-afib-related strokes.

About StopAfib.org

StopAfib.org was founded in 2007 by Mellanie True Hills, an atrial fibrillation survivor, to improve the quality of life for those living with atrial fibrillation and to raise awareness of afib and reduce afib strokes. HON Code Certified StopAfib.org is a patient-to-patient resource and the most visited patient arrhythmia site. It features the latest afib news and videos along with information about atrial fibrillation and stroke symptoms, causes, risks, and treatment. The Atrial Fibrillation Services Locator helps atrial fibrillation patients find hospitals, atrial fibrillation centers, electrophysiologists, and surgeons that specialize in treating afib. StopAfib.org also features atrial fibrillation patient resources, a newsletter, the Atrial Fibrillation Blog, the StopAfib Discussion Forum and Community, and the StopAfib YouTube Channel that brings top afib doctors to patients.

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