Mayo Clinic introduces heart health awareness campaign

Mayo Clinic today is launching a heart health awareness campaign featuring a parody of the 1982 hit song "867-5309/Jenny" at the third annual Social Media Summit, produced by Mayo Clinic in conjunction with Ragan Communications.

The "Know Your Numbers" music video will help people around the world understand the importance of knowing their numbers for blood pressure, lipids and body mass index to help prevent heart disease. As part of the campaign, viewers can use a free application on Mayo Clinic's Facebook page that will help them calculate their risk of a heart attack and learn how to prevent one.

"This is a fun way to encourage people to reduce their risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killer in this country of men and women," says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and founder of the Women's Heart Clinic. "Social media offers us the opportunity to get this important health message out to people in a broad way. I guarantee that viewers of the video will be singing the refrain 'blood pressure, lipids and BMI' to the 'Jenny' song all day long."

People should aim for a blood pressure reading of less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury, a lipid level below 200 milligrams of total cholesterol per deciliter, and a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 (pounds per inches squared).

Video viewers also have the opportunity to enter a contest to earn points by helping spread the word about heart attack risk factors. Top scorers will earn a trip to next year's Social Media Summit at Mayo Clinic or other prizes such as Mayo Clinic books related to heart disease. Top-scoring health-related organizations win a one-year membership in Mayo Clinic's Social Media Health Network.

The music video features Mayo Clinic cardiology staff, in addition to employees from across the organization.

Using social media for health promotion was an important element of Mayo Clinic's vision for the center when it launched in 2010, says Lee Aase, the center's director.

"It is our responsibility to help people use the power of social media to connect with providers and others to help them manage their health conditions and inspire healthy choices," Aase says. "We see this video as a fun way to send an important health message and to enable others to join the campaign."

Source: Mayo Clinic