Bayer® Aspirin Shares How to Keep Your Heart in the Game

The heart-pounding moments fans may experience while watching their favorite teams can play a role in their cardiovascular risk, especially when other pre-existing risk factors are present.

Our heart is one of the most vital organs in our body, so heart health is critical for everyone, no matter your age, ethnicity, gender or lifestyle.

In recognition of American Heart Month, Bayer is continuing its long-standing commitment to elevating awareness and education about heart health and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (1). Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. for men and women and continues to increase, due in part to the often-invisible risk factors — 1 in 5 heart attacks occur with no recognizable signs or warning.

Now more than ever, helping people understand their risks and take actions to promote a heart-healthy lifestyle is critical. Especially as about half of all Americans (47%) have at least 1 of 3 key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking (2).

For generations, Bayer® Aspirin has been at the forefront of helping consumers understand their heart health. This year, to underscore its legacy, Bayer® Aspirin is showing up as the Official Sponsor of Fans’ Hearts to raise awareness of the relationship between the stress of sports fandom and heart health. The heart-pounding moments fans may experience while watching their favorite teams can play a role in their cardiovascular risk, especially when other pre-existing risk factors are present.

In 2021, approximately 57.5 million viewers in the United States watched digital live sports content at least once per month (3). In this new campaign, Bayer capitalizes on the community of sports to empower fans with the accessible tools they need to keep their hearts in the game.

Bayer has partnered with digital health company Huma to develop The Bayer® Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment to make accessible self-assessments possible. The tool quickly evaluates an individuals’ personal risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years. Fans are also encouraged to discuss their heart health risk factors with a healthcare professional as part of ongoing health management. Visit CheckYourHeartRisks.com to learn more.

But it doesn’t stop at assessing your risk — 70% of major heart attack risk factors can be managed through lifestyle choices, which is why preventative care is so important (4). Here are some ways you can keep your heart in the game:

1. Eat Right: To reduce your risk of heart attack, eat a heart healthy diet that is high in fiber (found in certain vegetables) and low in saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products) and trans fat (found in heavy baked goods and margarine) (5).

2. Stay Active: To keep your heart strong and your blood vessels from getting clogged, aim to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity several days a week. Choose exercises you enjoy instead of those you dislike so you’re more likely to stick with your fitness program.

3. Don’t Smoke: Smoking hurts your heart and harms your body in a number of ways. There are a variety of successful cessation programs to choose from, and many are covered by insurance. Get your doctor’s advice on finding the best plan to help you kick the habit.

4. Find Ways to Reduce Stress: Mental stress damages the protective lining of blood vessels, potentially causing inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the arteries. This can increase your risk of a heart attack (6).

Protecting the hearts of all people continues to motivate Bayer to make bigger breakthroughs and tackle bigger challenges. Check out CheckYourHeartRisks.com to take The Bayer® Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment today. And follow along on Bayer® Aspirin social channels (Instagram: @BayerAspirin_US; Facebook: @BayerAspirin to learn more.

1 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels.

2 Fryar CD, Chen T-C, Li X. Prevalence of uncontrolled risk factors for cardiovascular disease: United States, 1999–2010 pdf icon[PDF-494K]. NCHS data brief, no. 103. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2012. Accessed May 9, 2019.

3 Number of digital live sports viewers in the United States from 2021 to 2025: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1127341/live-sport-viewership/#:~:text=Digital%20live%20sport%20viewership%20in%20the%20United%20States%202021&text=In%202021%2C%20approximately%2057.5%20million,over%2090%20million%20by%202025.

4 Heart Attack Risk Factors: The Worst Risk? Not Knowing: Bayer Aspirin Heart Attack Risk Factors | Bayer® Aspirin (bayeraspirin.com)

5 Diabetes & Heart Disease: Managing Your Risk: Bayer Aspirin Diabetes and Heart Disease Connection | Bayer® Aspirin (bayeraspirin.com)

6 Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack?: Bayer Aspirin Are You At Risk for a Heart Attack? | Bayer® Aspirin (bayeraspirin.com)