The International Association of Fire Fighters Sounds the Alarm on High Blood Pressure...

The International Association of Fire Fighters Sounds the Alarm on High Blood
Pressure through National Initiative

WASHINGTON, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Fire
Fighters (IAFF) today announces a first-of-its-kind health initiative that is
providing its 300,000 professional fire fighters with tools to raise awareness
of high blood pressure within their ranks and in the local communities that
they serve. These fire fighters - who are responsible for protecting 85
percent of the nation's population - will help fight this chronic condition
through health screenings and other educational activities.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090518/NY18163)

The campaign, launched as the Stop, Drop, Control High Blood Pressure Program
around May 17, World Hypertension Day, is being conducted in collaboration
with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. As part of the initiative, a
public online resource www.stopdropcontrol.com has been developed.

Approximately 74 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure,
but about 30 percent of them are unaware they have the condition. High blood
pressure is an asymptomatic, chronic condition that can cause damage to the
blood vessels and make the heart work harder. Uncontrolled high blood pressure
is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is associated with a
higher risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

Fire fighters, who face extreme physical and psychological stresses in their
work protecting their communities, have a high rate of on-duty deaths caused
by heart disease (45 percent) - and high blood pressure may be one of the
contributing factors. This first-hand experience makes IAFF and its members
pivotal to the campaign and gives them a keen understanding of why raising
awareness of high blood pressure is so important.

"Professional fire fighters are among the most trusted and respected leaders
of their communities, and know first-hand the dangers of high blood pressure,"
said Harold Schaitberger, IAFF General President. "The IAFF is pleased to be
working with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation - a global leader in
hypertension research - on an important public health initiative that will arm
us with resources - such as a comprehensive toolkit - to raise awareness about
the potential dangers of high blood pressure among fire fighters and the
general public."

IAFF affiliates and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation will also be
participating in community health fairs in 20 cities that will provide the
opportunity for fire fighters to speak about the program and other health and
safety issues.

As a follow-on component to the Stop, Drop, Control program, and as part of
its commitment to outcomes research, the IAFF and Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation will be conducting outcome studies to evaluate the effects of the
program on the health of fire fighters. Results of these studies may serve as
a tool to help guide hypertension management practices among fire fighters
across the country. The first two cities to participate in the studies will
be Indianapolis and Phoenix.

"We anticipate that these studies may lead to improved outcomes and enhance
firefighters' understanding of how to manage high blood pressure in this
unique group of patients, whose welfare is important to everyone," said
Joanne, R. Chang, MD PhD, VP & Head Evidenced Based Medicine, Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corporation. "This study reflects our commitment to improving
the management of high blood pressure."

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington,
DC, represents more than 295,000 full-time professional fire fighters and
paramedics in the United States and Canada. The IAFF is the leading advocate
in North America for the safety and training of fire fighters and paramedics.
More information is available at www.iaff.org.

Located in East Hanover, New Jersey, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is
an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides healthcare solutions that address
the evolving needs of patients and societies. Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation is focused on improving the lives of the hundreds of millions of
people with diseases and conditions of the cardiovascular system, including
hypertension. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has an extensive clinical
research program in hypertension involving more than 100,000 patients.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is dedicated to helping physicians and
patients address cardiovascular health through effective medicines and an
ongoing commitment to education, support and research. For more information on
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, please visit
http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com.

The IAFF and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation maintain a strong
collaborative relationship built upon the collective goal of serving the
health and safety needs of fire fighters and the general public. The primary
aim of the Stop, Drop, Control collaboration is to raise awareness of the
importance of blood pressure management within these populations. In their
roles, the IAFF is making educational materials available to their membership,
are hosting blood pressure screening events within their communities, and are
participating in community health fairs in an effort to raise awareness of the
importance of managing high blood pressure. In collaboration with the IAFF,
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has produced the educational content for
distribution to IAFF members, is financially supporting blood pressure
screenings in 20 cities across the country and providing support for public
health awareness activities surrounding the program.

SOURCE International Association of Fire Fighters

Jane Blume, +1-202-824-1588, jblume@iaff.org, or Bill Glanz, +1-202-824-1566,
+1-202-329-5856, bglanz@iaff.org, both of International Association of Fire
Fighters; or Christine Cascio of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation,
+1-862-778-8026, +1-917-449-9982 (mobile), christine.cascio@novartis.com; or
Trine Hindklev of Chandler Chicco Agency, +1-212-229-8441, +1-917-855-8018
(mobile), THindklev@ccapr.com