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?
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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 sixthon 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 inIsrael, 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.
