PITTSBURGH - On Friday, April 24, during day two of the NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium, the American Heart Association set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title by teaching 1,293 people Hands-Only CPR in one hour. The event aimed to close a critical gap: more than half of people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not receive CPR before emergency responders arrive.
The record-setting effort is part of the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers movement, which aims to double the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest by 2030 through CPR education and training. The initiative launched in 2023 after NFL player Damar Hamlin suffered sudden cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football.
"Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of survival," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "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. That's how we build a Nation of Lifesavers."
Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, affecting 350,000 people every year, with only 10% surviving. Hands-Only CPR, which takes as little as 90 seconds to learn, requires no formal training and can double or triple survival chances. Participants learned the simple two-step skill: calling 9-1-1 and performing chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute and a depth of approximately two inches.
The collaboration included the American Heart Association, the National Football League, Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation, and Doctor Mike, a board-certified family medicine physician and health influencer with 30 million social media followers. "Breaking this record shows how quickly people can learn a lifesaving skill," said Doctor Mike. "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.'"
Hamlin, Buffalo Bills Safety and National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers, expressed pride in the hometown effort. "To see my hometown come together to set this record and learn this skill is incredibly meaningful, and I'm proud to see the NFL, the American Heart Association, and our community come together to build a life-saving legacy," he said.
The American Heart Association and the NFL continue year-round collaboration through community-based CPR education, youth health programs, and national advocacy efforts. With support from the NFL Foundation, teams across the country are expanding access to CPR training and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in local communities.
Nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests happen at home, emphasizing the importance of widespread CPR knowledge. The American Heart Association encourages everyone to learn Hands-Only CPR by visiting www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR and taking 90 seconds to learn the skill that can save a life.
