Press Release

On Valentine's Day, Abbott Urges Women to Take Heart with Launch of 'Faces of Heart Disease' Exhibit to Raise Heart Health Awareness

Abbott and the American Heart Association Partner on Educational Poster Exhibit Featuring Inspirational Stories of Heart Disease Survivors

February 13, 2008

Abbott Park, Illinois (NYSE: ABT) — This Valentine's Day, Abbott and the American Heart Association are launching the "Faces of Heart Disease"educational poster exhibit to urge women in Illinois to give themselves and their loved ones the gift of a healthier heart by reducing their risk for heart disease.

News Facts

Unveiled at the Illinois State Capitol on Valentine's Day, the "Faces of Heart Disease" is a poster series featuring personal stories of local women who have recovered from heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in Illinois and across the country, with one out of every three women dying from heart disease. These real-life survivors are sharing their experiences to inspire other women to improve their heart health.
Illinois state legislators, including members of the bipartisan Conference of Women Legislators, will "Go Red" on February 14 at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Building in Springfield to show their support for heart disease awareness and treatment efforts, and to discuss the impact of heart disease on women across the state.
The exhibit also will be on display at the Secretary of State's office in Springfield, as well as O'Hare International Airport, Macy's on State Street, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Lake Forest Hospital and other locations across Chicagoland.
As the first-ever Chicagoland Hometown Sponsor for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, Abbott is partnering with the Association to raise awareness about heart disease.
Women can join the Go Red for Women movement and take the free Go Red Heart CheckUp, an online 10-year assessment of their heart health at GoRedForWomen.org.

Quotes

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women across Illinois. It's critical that government, businesses, non-profit organizations and health care providers join forces across the state to ensure that every woman knows the facts about heart disease. I applaud Abbott and the American Heart Association for drawing attention to this important issue."
Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett
29^th District, Chair of the State's Public Health Committee and member of the Conference of Women Legislators

"As a leader in fighting cardiovascular disease, Abbott is proud to partner with the American Heart Association on the "Faces of Heart Disease" exhibit. On Valentine's Day and in the coming months, we hope this campaign will inspire women to take action to improve their heart health."
Reeta Roy
Divisional Vice President, Global Citizenship and Policy, Abbott

"The 'Faces of Heart Disease' exhibit is a great way to expand the reach of the Go Red for Women message: women need to be aware of the risks of heart disease, and take steps to live healthier."
John Amato
President of the Metro Chicago American Heart Association Board

Stories from the "Faces of Heart Disease" Exhibit

"I participated in an occupational health screening and my blood pressure and cholesterol were excellent. Ironically, the good news I received at lunchtime was short-lived when, that night, I found myself in acute care in the midst of a heart attack at age 33. I had back pain, tightness in my neck, and discomfort that moved through my jaw and settled in the soft spot under my chin. Then, the nausea came. Doctors think I had a coronary artery spasm, which is quite common in women and because of my narrow arteries it was enough to close them up and cause the heart attack."
Michelle Smietana, age 34, of Gurnee, Illinois
Software testing engineer at Abbott and heart attack survivor

"I am a wife and a mother of four-year-old twins. And I have coronary artery disease, or CAD. Last year, I experienced chest pain and was rushed to the emergency room. After being diagnosed with CAD, I received a stent. A couple of months later, I had chest pain again, which required another stent. I am currently in cardiac rehab. With encouragement from family, friends and people in rehab, I know I can beat this disease."
Tracy Jackson, age 42,of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois
Heart disease survivor

About Go Red for Women

Since 2004, Go Red For Women has captured the energy, passion, and intelligence of women to work collectively to wipe out heart disease – the No. 1 killer of women. Today, we want millions of women across America to take heart disease personally. Go Red For Women engages these women – and the men who love them – to embrace the cause. Health care providers, celebrities, and politicians also elevate the cause and spread the word about women and heart disease. For more information about Go Red For Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit GoRedForWomen.org. The movement is nationally sponsored by Macy's and Merck.

About Abbott

In addition to raising awareness through campaigns like Go Red for Women, Abbott is committed to developing new drugs and medical devices to treat heart disease and related conditions. With diagnostic tests, pharmaceutical products, nutritional products and vascular stents to help diagnose and treat heart disease, Abbott has one of the world's leading heart disease and vascular care businesses.

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs 65,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Multimedia Links

Faces of Heart Disease