HEART UK Appoints Popular Actor David Witts as Latest Ambassador Ahead of National Cholesterol Week

LONDON - Oct. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- HEART UK, the Cholesterol Charity, has appointed popular actor David Witts as its latest ambassador to help promote the dangers of heart disease and the benefits of healthy living.

David plays a popular character in a BBC soap drama, whose storyline has included the death of his on-screen father from a heart attack, prompting him to support a fictional heart charity through the show.

David will help to promote HEART UK’s campaign to educate the public about the dangers of cholesterol and the importance of an active lifestyle and good diet in maintaining heart health with National Cholesterol Week taking place from October 14-20.

David said: “I’m delighted to be able to support HEART UK and help them to spread the message about the dangers of heart disease. I’m amazed that six out of ten adults have raised cholesterol and want to do all I can to help.

“I’d like to urge everyone to support HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Week and raise funds which will provide essential support to those affected by heart disease and their families.”

HEART UK are experts in cholesterol and they lead the way in education and support for people with both inherited or non-inherited high cholesterol. Their work with governing bodies and medical stakeholders has also helped to further develop guidelines for improved methods of the detection and treatment of cholesterol related conditions.

HEART UK Chief Executive Jules Payne said: “We’re delighted that David has agreed to support HEART UK and we are confident that he will prove to be a great asset in our fight against cholesterol related cardiovascular disease.” ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

HEART UK was formed in 2002 following a merger of The Family Heart Association (FHA) and the British Hyperlipidaemia Association (BHA).

HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity - promotes healthy hearts and better lives by:

·          helping and supporting individuals, families and health professionals to understand and control cholesterol conditions and other heart risks

·          promoting education and research to improve identification, prevention, treatment and care of cholesterol and lipid conditions

·          working in partnership with government, the NHS, industry and other charities

·          promoting best practice in addressing inherited and non-inherited cholesterol conditions

The HEART UK Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Guideline Implementation Team (FHGIT) was formed after the publication of the NICE Guideline on FH in 2008, and aims to help facilitate the implementation of the Guideline’s recommendations.

Six in 10 adults in the UK have raised cholesterol. Over 120,000 people in Britain have a form of inherited high cholesterol called Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) which can cause premature death as those as young as 30 – and only 15% of those with the condition are known.

David trained with the National Youth Music Theatre and the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and appeared in numerous theatre productions before joining Eastenders in the summer of 2012. He won the award for 'Most Popular Newcomer' for his portrayal of Joey at the National Television Awards 2013.

People wishing to find out more about FH should contact: HEART UK on the helpline – 0845 450 5988 – or visit www.heartuk.org.uk

For media inquiries please contact:

David Alexander, Calacus PR on 07802-412424 or david.alexander@calacus.comOR

Kourtney Shaw, Calacus PR on 07731-769269 or kourtney.shaw@calacus.com OR

Gemma Mejer, Calacus PR on 07730-766195 or gemma.mejer@calacus.com