Amgen Inc., with the help of comedian and television host Jay Leno, has launched Cholesterol 911, a national initiative to reduce cardiovascular disease. The initiative looks to motivate patients and caregivers to “get in the driver’s seat” when it comes to cholesterol management, according to a press release from the Thousand Oaks biotech giant on Tuesday. A series of videos set in Leno’s famous garage in Burbank link the comedian’s humor and love of cars to the initiative’s message. “I have a lifelong passion for all kinds of vehicles, and I love driving them, but being in the back of an ambulance is not somewhere I ever want to end up,” said Leno. “I hope this effort encourages people to see the emergency in high cholesterol and talk to their doctor to explore what more they can do to lower their cholesterol and risk of having another heart attack or stroke.” Cholesterol 911 wants to crack down on “bad” cholesterol, or LDL-C, by having patients with high levels of this type of cholesterol talk to a doctor. It is one of the most modifiable risk factors for heart attack, the release said.
