On Friday, April 24, the American Heart Association, alongside the National Football League, Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, and Doctor Mike, taught 1,293 people Hands-Only CPR in one hour at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh during the NFL Draft, earning a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title. This achievement expands the Nation of Lifesavers movement, which aims to double the survival of sudden cardiac arrest by 2030.
More than half of people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not receive CPR before emergency responders arrive. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest affects 350,000 people annually in the United States, with only 10% surviving. Hands-Only CPR, which takes as little as 90 seconds to learn, involves calling 9-1-1 and performing chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute.
“This record-setting moment with our incredible collaborators is about more than a number - it represents nearly 1,300 people who are now prepared to step in and help save a life,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills Safety and National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers, added, “To see my hometown come together to set this record and learn this skill is incredibly meaningful.”
The record-setting effort was inspired by Dr. Mike Varshavski, known as Doctor Mike, who has 30 million social media followers. “In just one hour, nearly 1,300 people learned what the American Heart Association and I say every day, which is ‘chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions,’” he said. The collaboration between the American Heart Association and the NFL continues year-round through community-based CPR education and advocacy, supported by the NFL Foundation.
Nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests happen at home, making it vital for more people to know how to respond. The American Heart Association encourages learning Hands-Only CPR at heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
