Cleveland HeartLab Launches “it” Campaign to Raise Awareness of Inflammation Testing
April 11, 2012 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time
CLEVELAND — Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (CHL), a rapidly growing specialty clinical laboratory and cardiovascular disease management company, today announced the launch of a campaign to educate patients and health care professionals about the importance of “it,” or inflammation testing, in determining heart attack and stroke risk. A unique inflammation biomarker panel is at the heart of CHL’s advanced approach to cardiovascular disease risk assessment.
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading killer in the United States. But approximately 50 percent of patients who have a heart attack or stroke have normal levels of cholesterol. Research has demonstrated that the degree of inflammation in one’s arteries is a better predictor of heart attack and stroke than cholesterol testing alone. CHL’s inflammation panel offers broader prognostic coverage than traditional blood tests and enables a determination of the degree to which someone is at risk for a cardiovascular event.
“Our new ‘it’ campaign is designed to engage patients about the benefits of inflammation testing and its role in advanced cardiovascular risk assessment like they’ve never been before,” said Marc S. Penn, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C., chief medical officer of Cleveland HeartLab and director of research, Summa Cardiovascular Institute, Akron, Ohio. “The campaign will generate increased understanding of inflammation testing and the significant role it plays in the assessment of cardiovascular disease and improved patient outcomes.”
CHL’s campaign employs a variety of tools that play on the abbreviation of “inflammation testing” to the word “it.” The campaign provides a simple, easy-to-understand approach to inflammation testing awareness and education that engages both patients who may be at risk for heart disease and practitioners. The company’s approach includes print and web ads (what is it?), waiting room brochures (how important is it?), patient reminder cards (make sure you get it) and other educational materials. These materials spark patient questions and direct them to easy-to-understand information about inflammation testing and how it can dramatically improve assessment of their cardiovascular health.
“Cleveland HeartLab’s approach to inflammation is essential in the identification and prevention of heart disease,” said Dharmesh S. Patel, M.D., F.A.C.C., a cardiologist and diplomate in clinical lipidology at Stern Cardiovascular Foundation, Memphis, Tenn. “CHL’s new ‘it’ campaign is a great step forward in assisting practitioners with educating patients about inflammation testing. Some cardiovascular disease risk factors are well known, but the role of arterial inflammation, a strong predictor of risk, is not always as well understood. CHL’s inflammation-related biomarkers allow us to better define patients at risk for cardiovascular events and to determine where they are on the risk spectrum. Cleveland HeartLab’s campaign is important because it elevates the additive power of inflammation testing in advanced cardiovascular disease risk assessment.”
“Our advanced approach to cardiovascular disease risk assessment has been gaining tremendous momentum with thousands of health care professionals,” said Jake Orville, president and chief executive of CHL. “CHL’s simple, but powerful campaign will accelerate that momentum by providing clear information to patients about the importance of inflammation testing. We are especially pleased to be able to kick off our campaign as our panel of inflammation biomarkers takes center stage at this year’s TEDMED conference.”
The annual TEDMED conference, being held April 10-13, explores the issues, challenges and innovations that are shaping the future of health and medicine. At this year’s conference, participants may choose to receive inflammation testing that uses CHL’s proprietary biomarkers and the company’s advanced approach to inflammation.
About Cleveland HeartLab
Cleveland HeartLab Inc. is a specialty clinical laboratory and cardiovascular disease management company focused on offering a robust menu of propriety diagnostic tests based on unique molecular biomarkers. CHL operates a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited clinical laboratory. It has developed a panel of tests that thousands of practitioners use in the management and prevention of heart disease. CHL also runs a research and development laboratory where next-generation cardiovascular disease biomarkers are being developed for use through CHL’s clinical laboratory. This valuable pipeline of tests is part of an exclusive intellectual property portfolio that targets large, under-addressed markets. For more information about Cleveland HeartLab, please visit the company’s website at www.clevelandheartlab.com.
Contacts
Jake Orville
President & Chief Executive, Cleveland HeartLab Inc.
216-426-6081
Rod Hise
The Luminis Group, Ltd. for Cleveland HeartLab Inc.
608-770-7850