MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 16, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Bayer HealthCare's Consumer Care Division today introduces One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus, the first and only leading complete multivitamin specially formulated with heart-health supporting ingredients, including policosanol -- which, along with diet and exercise, can help keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels within the normal range.
 
One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus is the only leading complete multivitamin to contain policosanol, an ingredient derived from sugar cane, that clinical research has shown can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus also contains folic acid and calcium, both of which have been shown to help maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Cholesterol is a growing concern among baby boomers; in fact, 41 percent of American adults over 45 years of age are concerned about their cholesterol or their blood pressure levels. In response, doctors suggest being proactive to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure -- two of the key risk factors for heart disease -- as important steps in prevention.

"Cholesterol levels in men and women can increase as they age," said Robyn Flipse, MS, RD, clinical dietitian and active member of the American Dietetic Association. "Even if a person's cholesterol level is in the normal range, it could increase over time as diet and exercise habits change. When you consider that heart disease will affect at least one in three adults during his or her lifetime, it underscores the importance of keeping cholesterol and blood pressure at healthy levels. Taking a multivitamin with heart-health supporting nutrients along with diet and exercise can help in achieving this goal."

"As the baby boomer generation ages and becomes more concerned about heart disease, we recognized a need to develop a multivitamin supplement to help keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels normal," said Shane Durkee, director of Nutritional Science and New Business at Bayer HealthCare. "One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus is designed to support heart health along with providing key essential vitamins and minerals for overall nutrition."

In fact, experts say a multivitamin is an important part of an overall healthy lifestyle for all adults. Researchers from Harvard Medical School announced a landmark recommendation in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, June 2002) stating that all adults should take a multivitamin daily -- in addition to eating a healthy diet -- to help ensure they get the optimal amount of nutrients each day.

In addition to policosanol and other heart-health nutrients, One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus contains up to 100 percent of key essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and zinc for healthy joints and bones; beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc to support the immune system; and vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin and magnesium for physical and mental energy.

One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus is the newest addition to Bayer's broad line of One-A-Day products, which provide specially designed multivitamin formulas tailored for individual health needs. The One-A-Day line of multivitamins includes One-A-Day WeightSmart with EGCG, One-A-Day Men's Health Formula with lycopene and One-A-Day Women's with calcium. For more information about the One-A-Day multivitamins, visit http://www.oneaday.com or call 1-800-800-4793.

The Consumer Care Division of Bayer HealthCare LLC, is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Bayer's Consumer Care Division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Bayer Aspirin, Aleve, Phillips' Milk of Magnesia, Midol, Alka-Seltzer, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Bactine, RID and One-A-Day and Flintstones vitamins.

Bayer HealthCare combines the global activities of the Animal Health,
Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diagnostics Professional Testing Systems
and Diagnostics Self-Testing Systems and Pharmaceuticals divisions. A subgroup
of Bayer AG, Bayer HealthCare is one of the world's leading innovators in the
health care and medical products industry and employs more than 34,600 people
worldwide.