Detroit, Michigan, USA- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) is sponsoring the Living Heart Foundation (LHF), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating cardiovascular disease. LHF will screen student athletes and retired NFL players for cardiac risk as part of Super Bowl XL activities. Pre-Super Bowl events include an NFL Health Fair, cardiovascular screenings, and a Philips HeartStart defibrillator donation to the Detroit Lions Academy.

"We're excited that Philips is sponsoring our cardiovascular awareness efforts in Detroit. As a leader in diagnostic imaging, monitoring and defibrillation technology, we knew that Philips could offer student and professional athletes outstanding technology and educational materials regarding sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of having defibrillators anywhere people work, live and play," said Dr. Archie Roberts, founder of the Living Heart Foundation and a former NFL Quarterback.

Dr. Roberts created the foundation to encourage athletes to learn about the importance of early detection and aggressive management of cardiovascular disease. The Super Bowl screenings will take place with the help of Henry Ford Hospital, the Detroit Chapter of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), the Detroit Lions, the American College of Cardiology and other local organizations. During this year's events, the Living Heart Foundation will be showcasing information about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which claims more than 340,000 lives a year.

In addition to providing education about and demonstrations of HeartStart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at the Health Fair, press conference and the NFL player screenings, Philips is donating a HeartStart defibrillator to the Detroit Lions Academy. The Detroit Lions Academy is an alternative school for sixth- and seventh-grade students. The Academy provides approximately 140 students with an exceptional educational experience they might not otherwise receive.

"Philips is honored to donate a HeartStart defibrillator to the Detroit Lions Academy. We believe that every school should be equipped with an AED in order to ensure students and staff are prepared in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest," said Deborah DiSanzo, senior vice president and general manager, cardiac systems, for Philips Medical Systems.

Defibrillators treat the most common result of sudden cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, which is an electrical malfunction of the heart that causes it to beat erratically rather than pump in a normal rhythm. Fewer than five percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims survive, largely because defibrillators do not get to them in time. For each minute that passes before defibrillation therapy reaches a victim, the chance for survival decreases by about 10 percent. After 10 minutes, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.

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