IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Heart Health Month, GUARDaHEART, a non-profit foundation committed to raising awareness about Heart Disease prevention, hosted a "Love Your Heart Day" Community Lunch on February 14th in honor of the biggest heart day of the year. The event was sponsored by Aviir Diagnostic Laboratories, where visitors could tour the state-of-the-art facility and learn more about MIRISK VP^TM, the advanced medical technology which determines an individuals risk for a heart attack in the next five years.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130220/LA63552)

In honor of Valentine's Day and Heart Health month, selected Heart Healthy menu items were made available by local food trucks: Dos Chinos, Rolling Sushi, A Bite Truck, Chomp Chomp Nation, and We Heart Froyo. Special appearances were made by Food Network celebrity Fit Chef Katy, Ms. America Pageant Founder/CEO Susan Jeske, as well as, former Miss America and Ms International Deana Molle who is currently featured on the new TruTV show, "Container Wars."

Healthy lifestyle vendors such as Tosi Health, Newport Fit for Life, 24-Hour Fitness, OC Celebrity Smiles Teeth Whitening, Healing Arts Touch, Gateway Rehab, and Sadjadi Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, displayed various options for heart healthy lifestyles, from gym memberships to massages to teeth whitening.  Fresh ripe strawberries were donated by OC Produce and a host of nutritional products by Tosi Health rounded out the day. Fabulous prizes were raffled off such as Anaheim Duck tickets, Ryka Shoes, Organo Gold teas and coffees, OC Celebrity Smiles Teeth Whitening, and 24 Hour Fitness memberships.

In addition to increasing awareness and education for Heart Disease, GUARDaHEART Foundation continually proves that a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be boring –in fact, as the day proved, it can be a lot of fun!  Dozens of Irvine businesses came out to enjoy the sunshine, clear skies, heart-pumping music, tasty healthy meal options – and walked away with useful information on Heart Disease prevention. GUARDaHEART's mission is to teach individuals that Heart Disease is preventable and one's risk can often be reduced through simple lifestyle modifications, smart nutrition and regular exercise.  Even small amounts of physical activity, for 20-to-30 minutes per day, 3-to-5 times per week can significantly reduce your cardiac risk.

GUARDaHEART Foundation offers the following five simple ways to Love Your Heart:

• Add 20-30 minutes of daily exercise into your schedule
• Use prayer, meditation or yoga to reduce stress
• Stop smoking
• Eat more fruits and vegetables every day
• Replace the starches in your diet with whole grains such quinoa, which contain valuable antioxidants as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber

About GUARDaHEART Foundation
GUARDaHEART is a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of Heart Disease prevention by spreading the word to guard your heart and save your life. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is if individuals know their risk and take the necessary steps, most cardiovascular disease can be prevented and reversed if detected early. Although heart disease is typically diagnosed in adulthood, its roots are often found in childhood. Compelling research has shown that plaque buildup in the arterial walls begins very early in life and progresses throughout life. Intervention strategies and healthy lifestyle modification to reduce heart disease risk should begin early when reversal of the process is easier, not later in life when the disease is more developed.  GUARDaHEART Foundation also provides assistance for individuals who are unable to pay for cardiac risk assessments.  Please visit www.guardaheart.org for more information.

About Aviir
Aviir was founded in 2005 by cardiologists and scientists from the Stanford University School of Medicine to focus on discovery, development and commercialization of innovative diagnostic tests. The biotechnology company specializes in developing proprietary diagnostic tests to assist in identifying patients who are truly at high risk for the development of a cardiac event.

Aviir's proprietary MIRISK and MIRISK VP assessments objectively identify, using a single blood draw, individuals who are at a high risk of experiencing a cardiac event over the next five years. Aviir's CLIA certified laboratory (Irvine, CA) complements these novel tests with a wide range of additional tests for heart health assessment and therapeutic monitoring of cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders – including pharmacogenomic and genetic tests. The company has adopted a unique clinical laboratory service model to provide physicians better diagnostic tools to help improve the cardiovascular health of their patients. The company is privately owned and funded by leading life science venture capital firms. Please visit www.aviir.com for more information.

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Vivie Sumadi 
vivie.sumadi@aviir.com 

SOURCE GUARDaHEART Foundation; Aviir Inc.