AMSTERDAM, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
What can you do in 30 minutes? Catch up
on your favourite sitcom? Burn 180 calories on an exercise bike?
Clean the bathroom? Or break a Guinness World Records™ title?
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363641LOGO )
(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363642 )
That is what over 600 employees from Teva have done. Taking a
break from their day jobs in areas such as finance, marketing,
human resources and sales, colleagues from across Europe simultaneously spent half an hour
breathing their way to a Guinness World Records title through an
international breathing class.
Healthcare company Teva, which has its European headquarters in
Amsterdam, is now recognised as
the inaugural holders of the record for "The World's Largest
Breathing Lesson".
The breathing lessons were held at many of the company's
European sites and led by fully qualified yoga teachers. They
followed a strict format to comply with Guinness World Records'
requirements and were all independently verified. The lessons
focused on inhalation, temporary suspension of breath, right- and
left-nostril breathing, finishing with the "lion's breath".
"This Guinness World Records attempt demonstrates our commitment
to respiratory care and represents the significant change that we
can make together," said Luca Frangoni, Head Respiratory
Europe.
"People often forget what a burden respiratory disease can be
for the individuals affected, their families, and the health
systems. Supporting the millions of people in Europe with asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease is at the centre of our business and that's why
we've done this record attempt, to raise awareness and demonstrate
this commitment for the respiratory community in a new and creative
way. Teva aims to help empower patients to play a more active role
in the management of their condition. Ultimately we want to give
these patients the opportunity to have a better day," he added.
Notes to Editors:
About respiratory disease
Respiratory disease describes a range of conditions that affect
the air passages, including the nasal passages, the bronchi and the
lungs. They range from acute infections, such as pneumonia and
bronchitis, to chronic conditions such as asthma and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
About asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation and
tightening of the airways. In Europe, 30 million children and adults under
45 live with asthma, and 6 million of them suffer from severe
symptoms.[1]
The total cost of asthma in Europe is 17.7 billion
EUR per year, and productivity loss due to patients' poor
control of their asthma is estimated at 9.8
billion EUR per year.[1
]
About COPD
COPD is a group of conditions which include emphysema and chronic
bronchitis. It is a progressive disease that affects approximately
4-10% of all adults in European countries, is currently ranked
sixth on the World Health Organisation's mortality list, and
will be the third leading cause of death by
2020.[2]
COPD accounts for almost half of the total annual financial
burden of lung disease in Europe
of €141.4 billion. It accounts for more time off work than any
other illness and each year it is estimated that €32.8 billion are
lost due to reduced productivity of COPD
patients.[2 ]
About the Guinness World Records attempt:
To be eligible to achieve the Guinness World Records title, there
had to be a minimum of 25 people at each Teva site, stewards and
independent adjudicators, and all of the classes were recorded to
verify the record attempt.
References:
- European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients'
Association, Asthma Explained,
http://www.efanet.org/get-advice/asthma [accessed 21/04/16]
- European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients'
Association, COPD Explained http://www.efanet.org/get-advice/copd
[accessed 21/04/16]
About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE:TEVA) is
a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality,
patient-centric healthcare solutions used by millions of patients
every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world's
largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of
more than 1,000 molecules to produce a wide range of generic
products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines,
Teva has a world-leading position in innovative treatments for
disorders of the central nervous system, including pain, as well as
a strong portfolio of respiratory products. Teva integrates its
generics and specialty capabilities in its global research and
development division to create new ways of addressing unmet patient
needs by combining drug development capabilities with devices,
services and technologies. Teva's net revenues in 2015 amounted
to $19.7 billion. For more information, visit
http://www.tevapharm.com.
SOURCE Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe BV