DALLAS, October 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

700,000 People Worldwide Rally behind Sign Against Stroke Task Force to Call AF Care and Stroke Prevention to be Prioritised on National Health Agendas 

On World Stroke Day, the Sign Against Stroke (SAS) in Atrial Fibrillation Task Force introduces the enhanced SignAgainstStroke.com to better support the millions of people living with atrial fibrillation (AF) as well as their family and friends. This is a condition that one out of four people over 40 will develop and is responsible for 1.7 million strokes leading to death or disabilities worldwide each year.  

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What is Atrial Fibrillation?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ftnVmxsKs&feature=youtu.be

"The new Sign Against Stroke website has been designed for people that AF impacts by people that AF impacts," says Mellanie True Hills, StopAfib.org CEO and SAS Task Force Co-Chair. "We want to make sure that people living with AF as well as their family, friends, and healthcare providers have the resources and tools to empower and mobilise them to become active partners in managing AF."

What are the New SAS Resources?  

The new resources include personal experience videos, educational animation videos and an Infographic series that will help people:

• Realise the impact of AF and AF-related stroke can have on a person's daily life
• Understand the risk of AF and AF-related stroke, including a risk calculator
• Know how to take action against AF by understanding treatments, including useful questions for the doctor
• Comprehend the physical and emotional effects on life after stroke, including care giver support
• Join the cause to make AF care and stroke prevention a national priority by signing the SAS Charter

"The new Sign Against Stroke website will still be the home of our Global AF Patient Charter, where you can join the more than 700,000 patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, policy makers and the general public who have signed the Global Atrial Fibrillation Patient Charter", says Adam Siger of Stroke Foundation of Poland and SAS Task Force member. "We are aiming to gather 1.7 million signatures - one for each of the estimated number of grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles killed or disabled by AF strokes every year - to drive the important topic of AF care and stroke prevention higher up national health agendas."

Why Sign Against Stroke?  

With early diagnosis and appropriate anticoagulation, the majority of AF-related strokes can be prevented. This is why joint efforts among governments, medical and patient organisations and industry to make AF-related stroke prevention a priority on national health agendas are critical in reducing the burden of this devastating condition.

About the Sign Against Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation Website    

The content and tools found on SignAgainstStroke.com have been developed by the authors of the Global AF Patient Charter. This Task Force has been coordinated by a secretariat funded by Bayer Healthcare. This website is administrated by Fundacja Udaru Mózgu (The Polish Stroke Foundation), on behalf of the Sign Against Stroke (SAS) Task Force.

About the Global AF Patient Charter    

The Global AF Patient Charter has been developed by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from patient organisations, including AntiCoagulation Europe, Arrhythmia Alliance, Atrial Fibrillation Association, Irish Heart Foundation, StopAfib.org and Stroke Alliance for Europe, in collaboration with 39 founding patient organisations from 20 countries.  A full listing of collaborating organisations is available on the website, http://www.signagainststroke.com. All signatures contribute to driving action to prevent AF-related strokes and improving future outcomes and quality of life of people diagnosed with AF.

Bayer HealthCare is proud to support the Global AF Patient Charter and Sign Against Stroke Campaign.

SOURCE Sign Against Stroke