"I am thrilled that so many countries are set to benefit from 1 Mission 1 Million," said renowned actress Jane Seymour, ambassador for the initiative. "I have very personal reasons for being involved with this as my mother had AF and unfortunately had a stroke as a result of the condition. AF-related strokes can be incredibly debilitating and I am proud to be part of this initiative which has given the public the power to allocate €1 million to projects which will really make a difference to the lives of people with AF and their families."

Winners of 1 Mission 1 Million span the globe from Malaysia to Canada and include a range of individuals, patient and professional groups and healthcare centres from 18 different countries.The winning projects include the design of an iPhone app to detect an irregular heart rhythm, the production of a disease awareness video, the local provision of electrocardiogram monitoring, and an online social media platform. Spain leads the way with a total of five winners, followed by France and Germany with four winners each.

"The winners have now been announced but this is just the beginning," said Professor John Camm, 1 Mission 1 Million Expert Panel member. "AF is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder worldwide, leading to as many as 3 million strokes globally each year. 1-6 Furthermore, a staggering one in four adults over the age of 40 will develop AF in their lifetime. 7 These projects will take an important step in preventing AF-related strokes and have the potential to save many lives across the world."

12 months ago, awareness projects were submitted by individuals, patient and professional groups and healthcare centres across 36 countries, with 184 being put forward for public vote following a review of all projects by members of the 1 Mission 1 Million Expert Panel. Members of the public were then invited to vote for projects that they believed would make a difference in preventing AF-related strokes. Over two million votes were received, representing widespread public engagement.

About Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
AF is the most common sustained heart rhythm abnormality worldwide with one in four adults over the age of 40 developing AF in their lifetime.(1,7) AF causes the heart to beat irregularly and often too quickly or too slowly.(8) People with AF are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than people without AF and AF-related strokes tend to be more severe and disabling than non AF-related strokes.(3-5,9) Many AF-related strokes can be prevented with correct management but many patients are not aware of their risk and so take no action to prevent it.(10)

About 1 Mission 1 Million
1 Mission 1 Million - Getting to the Heart of Stroke is a first-of-its-kind disease awareness initiative, supported by leading health experts and patient organisations including AntiCoagulation Europe, Atrial Fibrillation Association, Stroke Alliance for Europe and the World Heart Federation and is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Project applications, submitted by healthcare professionals and organisations worldwide, were reviewed by an Expert Panel whose members are leaders in the field of AF, and voting was open to the public between 22nd March and 22nd June 2011.In addition to the public vote, the Expert Panel members selected seven 'Expert Picks' - projects that were deemed to be deserving of special recognition. There were a total of 32 awards available, ranging from €10,000 to €100,000, totalling €1 million.

About the Campaign Supporters
Over 45 third party organisations around the world support the 1 Mission 1 Million - Getting to the Heart of Stroke initiative. Below is some information about the four global supporters.

About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 42,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim's endeavors.

In 2010, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of about 12.6 billion euro while spending almost 24% of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

1. Stewart S, Murphy N, Walker A, et al. Cost of an emerging epidemic: an economic analysis of atrial fibrillation in the UK. Heart 2004; 90:286-92.
2. Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, World Health Organization, September 2004. Viewed March 2011 at http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/en/cvd_atlas_15_burden_stroke.pdf
3. Wolf PA, Abbott RD, Kannel WB. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham Study. Stroke 1991; 22(8);983-8.
4. Lin HJ, Wolf PA, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation: the Framingham study. Stroke 1996; 27:1760-4.
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8. Goodacre S, et al. ABC of clinical electrocardiography. Atrial arrhythmias. Br Med J 2002; 324:594-7.
9. Kelly-Hayes M, et al. The influence of gender and age on disability following ischemic stroke: The Framingham Study. J Stroke Carebrovasc Dis 2003; 12:119-266.
10. Hart GR, et al. Meta-analysis: Antithrombotic therapy to prevent stroke in patients who have nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Ann Intern Med 2007; 146:857-867.