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BATON ROUGE, La.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--In recognition of National Heart Health Month, Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) urges Americans to take one simple step toward improving their long-term health that starts with the heart a" take ownership of managing their blood pressure.

"The one critical step wead like to educate people about to help improve their long-term health during heart health month is taking ownership of managing blood pressure to their personal goal"

Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure has no symptoms, and is sometimes called athe silent killer.a If you have high blood pressure (also called hypertension), the heart is forced to work harder, arteries are overworked and the chances of stroke, heart attack and kidney problems are greater. In addition, if you have a pre-existing condition such as coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or diabetes, you are at an even greater risk for complications.

Key facts (Source: [ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ]):

• About one out of three U.S. adults has high blood pressure.
• High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.
• In 2010, high blood pressure cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work.

In addition, a recent study showed that home health monitoring may significantly improve blood pressure control. Patients in the home monitoring group were 50 percent more likely to have their blood pressure controlled to healthy levels compared to the usual care group. (The study was led by [ Kaiser Permanente ] - Colorado in collaboration with the American Heart Association and Microsoft Corp.)

aThe one critical step wead like to educate people about to help improve their long-term health during heart health month is taking ownership of managing blood pressure to their personal goal,a said Michael Fleming, M.D., FAAFP and chief medical officer for Amedisys. aYour blood pressure impacts everything else in your body since it indicates how your blood is flowing - so no matter your existing condition, keeping your blood pressure at your personal goal is one of the most important leading indicators for maintaining your health,a he concluded.

Dr. Fleming also provides three important steps to help you take ownership of managing your blood pressure during heart health month and beyond:

a) Book an appointment with your doctor to talk about your blood pressure. Ask your doctor what is your goal for a healthy blood pressure. It can vary based on your health status. If your blood pressure is higher than desired, discuss a plan of action to keep it under control. Take notes from the conversation, including your personal blood pressure goal and your blood pressure management plan.

b)Monitor your blood pressure and keep a record. High blood pressure has no symptoms. So if you have hypertension, talk to your healthcare provider about monitoring your blood pressure at home. When you go for your health visits, make sure your health care provider checks your blood pressure each time and that you record what it is.

c) Follow the basic high blood pressure prevention guidelines: Stop smoking, eat healthy foods, maintain a healthy body weight, exercise and limit your salt intake.

To help you take ownership of managing your blood pressure, Amedisys has provided a downloadable tool on its website that includes questions to ask your doctor about your blood pressure. To download your copy, please visit: [ www.Amedisys.com/ManagingBP ].

About Amedisys:

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is a leading health care company focused on bringing home the continuum of care. Amedisys delivers personalized health care services to patients and their families in the comfort of patients' homes, with approximately 10 million patient care and education encounters per year. Amedisys has two divisions, home health care and hospice. The Company's state-of-the-art advanced chronic care management programs and leading-edge technology enables it to deliver quality care based upon the latest evidence-based best practices. Amedisys is a recognized innovator, being one of the first in the industry to equip its clinicians with point-of-care laptop technology and referring physicians with an internet portal that enables real-time coordination of patient care seamlessly. Amedisys also has the industry's first-ever nationwide Care Transitions program. Amedisys Care Transitions is designed to reduce unnecessary hospital readmissions through patient and caregiver health coaching and care coordination, which starts in the hospital and continues throughout completion of the patient's home health plan of care. For more information about the Company, please visit: [ http://www.amedisys.com ].

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that could cause or contribute to such differences are described in the Company's periodic reports and registrations statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and include, but are not limited to the following: general economic and business conditions, changes in or failure to comply with existing regulations or the inability to comply with new government regulations on a timely basis, changes in Medicare and other medical reimbursement levels, ability to complete acquisitions announced from time to time, and any financing related thereto, the ability to meet debt service requirements and to comply with covenants in debt agreements, adverse changes in federal and state laws relating to the health care industry, demographic changes, availability and terms of capital, ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, ongoing development and success of new start-ups, ability to successfully integrate newly acquired agencies, changes in estimates and judgments associated with critical accounting policies, business disruption due to natural disasters or acts of terrorism, and various other matters, many of which are beyond management's control. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

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