Philips Furthers Dialogue and Research on Cardiovascular Disease and Sleep Apnea at ESC Congress 2014

- Symposium Builds on Philips' Support for SAVE Study Examining Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment on Cardiovascular Disease

ANDOVER, Massachusetts, Aug. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- At this week's European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2014, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG AEX: PHIA) is sponsoring a key Satellite Symposia focused on managing patients with the complex combination of cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea. This session builds on Philips' ongoing support for the Sleep Apnea cardioVascular Endpoints (SAVE) study, which launched in 2008 with the goal of determining the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in preventing heart attack, stroke or heart failure in high-risk patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

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Ongoing Management of the Complex Patient with Cardiovascular Disease and Apnea: Interactive Case Discussions
August 31 from 1:00 - 1:45 p.m., Vilnius Room, Village 9
Speakers: Dr. Dirk Skowasch, University of Bonn, Germany; and, Dr. Frederic Roche, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, France

Professor Dirk Skowasch of the University of Bonn, Germany, will initiate the session by focusing on the rationale for treating sleep disordered breathing in cardiovascular disease patients. Dr. Frederic Roche of Saint-Etienne University Hospital, France, will continue the discussion by providing an overview of the challenges physicians face regarding this complex patient management. The session will wrap up with interactive case discussions of patients with co-morbidities and sleep disordered breathing.

"Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which affects nearly 100 million individuals worldwide, is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death, but there are few studies examining the beneficial effects of therapy on this disorder," said Teofilo Lee-Chiong, MD and Chief Medical Liaison for Philips. "The Symposia at the ESC Congress 2014 will contribute important insights into treatment of these patients."

The SAVE study reached a major milestone in February 2014 as it achieved its enrollment goal of 2,500 patients, making it the largest global sleep apnea clinical trial performed that reaches across seven countries and 84 hospitals and medical institutions. Now that the study has completed enrollment, the study investigators will continue to evaluate the participants over the next two years. If the results of this study prove positive, the causal relationship between OSA and cardiovascular disease will be proven, and clinical practices and treatment approaches to both OSA and cardiovascular disease will be improved.

In addition to being the lead sponsor of the study, Philips also maintains an active role in training the various SAVE sites in positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence techniques to ensure strong patient engagement.

For more information on Philips' presence at the ESC Congress 2014 in Barcelona, please go to http://www.philips.com/esc and visit the Philips Booth #F500. Follow the #ESCcongress conversation @PhilipsHealth and continue the conversation via Philips LinkedIn Innovations in Cardiology Group.

For more information, please contact:

Kathy O'Reilly
Philips Healthcare
Tel: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Twitter: @kathyoreilly

About Royal Philips:

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 113,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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