In what can only be described as the sign of the times, high blood pressure is now apparently so serious an issue that the American Heart Association chose to run a 30-second spot during the primest of prime times: Super Bowl XLI (disclaimer: King Pharmaceuticals helped pay for the $2.6 million spot).

Crunched between ads for cheesy Doritos and sugary sodas, is this little healthful spot titled “Heart Attack”. The primary goal of the ad is to warn viewers of the seriousness of high blood pressure and the problems it could lead to including heart attacks and strokes. At the conclusion, users are asked to visit BeatYourRisk.com, an online risk assessment tool from the AHA.

After answering a serious of six questions (gender, age, height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure), the tool gives you a report detailing your risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. While no online software can accurately give you these figures, it is apparent that the primary goal of the site is merely to be a dialogue-opener between you and your doctor. With more than 90 million viewers watching the Big Game, the AHA hopes to grab the attention of many high blood pressure sufferers and goad them to take the first step toward fighting the disease.

Without further ado (or giving anything away), here’s presenting “Heart Attack”:
(Note: The following is a YouTube video and it might not work in certain feed-readers or if you are reading this by email. You might need to visit the site to view this video):

Now take your risk assessment at BeatYourRisk.com and be sure to talk to your doctor if anything seems out of the ordinary in the results.

Go on, beat your risk!

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, beat your risk, high blood pressure, super bowl ads, superbowl ads

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